Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves
by Snow Tigra
Summary: AU. Kurama and his family are a group of travelling preformers who move around the Makai. His life takes a very interesting turn when they stumble upon a destroyed town, it's only survivors a Koorime and a fire demon.
1. Part 1

Title: Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves   
  
Series: Yu Yu Hakusho  
  
Author: Snow Tigra  
  
Rating: R?  
  
Pairings: Hiei/Kurama, Kuwabara/Yukina, Yuusuke/Kuronue  
  
Warnings: AU, and Kurama is in his red head human form for most of this story, in spite of it taking place in the Makai  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
Archive: www.spinfrog.com/snowtigra  
  
"Another dead city."  
  
The wagon pulled to a stop at the edge of the town, its driver frowning from the front seat while holding the reigns of the demonic horse. Ahead of him, smoke still rose from scattered buildings, debris tossed over the roads, surrounding crumbled and beaten down houses. Dead bodies lined the streets, most lying face down on the gravel, or in awkward positions. One glance and it was easy to tell they'd all died quick and painful deaths, left to lie like so much trash.  
  
Kuronue narrowed his eyes and scanned the crumbling buildings, watching for any sign of movement. The road led straight through the center of the city, but he'd be damned if he drove his family right into the middle of an ambush from some stupid bandits that weren't satisfied with massacring a whole town. Instead he just sat there, completely still, his eyes sweeping over the area.  
  
Behind him, the main door to the wagon slid open and a young red head peeked out his head, stepping down onto the small step right below the door. He opened his mouth to ask Kuronue why they'd stopped, but he bit on his own words as he saw the town.  
  
"They're all dead." He murmured in a soft voice, his eyes wide.  
  
"Kurama, get back in the wagon. We're going to head to the next town." Kuronue scanned the ruins again, double-checking his assessment. He couldn't see anything moving amongst the rubble, but he still didn't trust it. Especially when his family's lives were at stake.  
  
"Father says we should stay. And you know the next town is at least another day's ride." Kurama frowned and jumped down from the cart to the ground. He tugged his shawl around his shoulders and stepped a little ways from the cart, to get a look at the town for himself.  
  
He wore his normal outfit, the shawl covering most of it. The top wasn't much more then a piece of fabric tied in the back and held with two small strings that went over his shoulders. Baggy green pants covered his legs, made of thin and wispy fabric that moved with the slightest breeze. His long red hair was pulled back into a high pony tail, in a half failed attempt to keep it from blowing into his eyes, but he'd missed a few strands so it really was pointless. Everything about him, to the passerby, looked almost completely human. The only hint to his demon heritage, aside from the fact that he lived in the Makai, was the curious tint of emerald in his eyes, and the silver strands of hair that shone brightly only in the moonlight.  
  
"Hey, kid, get back in the wagon." Kuronue said, turning in his seat to frown at Kurama. Kurama just shrugged and walked up next to him.  
  
"It's been ransacked, Kuro-chan. Honestly, no one's here anymore. Besides, father says we need to stop. So we're stopping." He turned his eyes up to Kuronue in a defiant look, almost daring him to drive the horse forward anyway.   
  
Kuronue sighed and shook his head, frowning deeply. Turning away from Kurama, he motioned to the horse and urged it to take the wagon up beside one of the houses that was still partially standing and which would provide at least a little cover from the nasty winds which dominated the cold Makai nights. He tied the reigns to the seat and jumped down from the seat, taking a moment to stretch out his arms and his wings.  
  
He watched Kurama carefully for a moment, making sure he knew where the redhead was and whereabouts he might disappear to, before turning his complete attention to the horse and locking the wheels for the night. He still didn't trust the town, but if Yomi said they were stopping, then they were stopping. It just meant he'd be extra edgy and watchful to make sure nothing happened.  
  
In spite of thinking of both of them as his family, Kuronue wasn't actually related to either of the two other demons he traveled with. He'd been more or less adopted into the family when Kurama's mother had still been around and had traveled with them ever since. When one traveled together so long, it was easy to picture Kurama as his younger brother and Yomi as his father, in spite of the lack of physical resemblance. Yes, Yomi had horns and was one of the larger types of youkai, and Kurama was very light on his feet and thin, yet strong like most youkos, but they were still a family. That's what it meant to travel together.  
  
Kuronue finished attending to the horse and tied it up, making sure it could reach a small patch of grass to eat, then he turned his attention to the rest of things that needed to be done. Kurama was already setting up the small tent that they usually sat under at night, so he didn't need to do that. But he still needed to find wood for the fire to cook the meal… so he headed in the direction of one of the more destroyed houses. No sense in wasting good wood, even if they were fallen support planks.  
  
He entered the old house through the front door, in spite of the fact that a whole wall had crumbled on one side. It just felt right to still use the front door while he could. The inside of the house was still in a useable condition, if one discounted the absence of one wall and the debris scattered over the floor. But other then that…  
  
Elaborate decorations covered the interior walls in beautiful jagged designs, colored blue and crystal clear to offset the dark stone underneath from the building materials. Matching the walls, the railing on the spiral staircase - which now led to a roofless second story - also held a similar design. Kuronue frowned a bit in thought and stepped forward, extending a finger to touch the railing. Surprisingly his finger came back cold and damp.  
  
Ice.  
  
"Koorime." He said softly, his eyes travelling once more around the house.  
  
"Hm? What's that?" Behind him, Kurama stepped into the house, dancing a bit to avoid stepping on something sharp, before he finally found a safe place on the floor and decided to stand there. He turned his green eyes to the railing. "It looks like it's made of ice."  
  
"It is. This is work of a Koorime… an ice maiden." Kuronue frowned and flicked the moisture off his finger.   
  
Kurama made his way carefully over to the railing and leaned in to look at it. "But I thought the Koorime lived on the other side of the Makai, toward the north. Wasn't it on some sort of floating island or something?"  
  
"They do. But apparently one or two decided to move and live here. Unlucky for them." Kuronue frowned and gave a light shrug. "And now that you're here, you can help me out. Gather up some fire wood while I check downstairs to see if there's anything that's salvageable."  
  
Kurama made a face at Kuronue. "Oh sure, make the kid do all the work." But he went about looking for wood anyway, just joking. Siblings indeed, Kuronue thought as he opened the cellar door and started down the creaky stairs.  
  
The cellar was in much better condition then the house, with fully intact walls. The place hadn't even been touched, considering that the walls were still lined with crude wooden shelves full of jars and random containers. Apparently Kuronue's guess about bandits had been wrong, because what bandit was stupid enough to leave a cellar untouched?  
  
He jumped down from the last stair and squinted in the darkness. There was no light source anywhere that he could see, making the job suddenly that much more annoying. He's have to either make a hole in the floor to bring in sunlight, or carry the jars up one by one to examine what was inside of them.  
  
"I guess it's mystery food tonight," He muttered, moving to gather up a few of the jars. As he turned back toward the stairs he noticed a rack of what looked to be glass bottles and were probably filled with some sort of liquid. A smirk crossed Kuronue's face and he headed over there quickly, snagging a couple bottles. Yomi made the best mead in the world, but when one practically lived on it since wild Makai water wasn't safe to drink, it suddenly didn't taste that good. Kuronue welcomed any other drink at this time, even if it was only freshly bottled fruit juice that hadn't even started to ferment yet.   
  
As he debated grabbing a few more bottles, there was a soft sound behind him. Kuronue whirled around, opening his mouth and readying himself to call out to Kurama to run… but what he found wasn't nearly so much as a threat.  
  
"Hey Kurama! There's still kids down here!" 


	2. Part 2

**  
  
Large young eyes watched as the two older youkai fussed about. It had taken them seemingly forever before she'd actually agreed to let them lead her out of the cellar and carry with her brother. And now that they were sitting near a campfire, now they wanted to her let go of him? She had no intentions of doing that any time soon.  
  
As the two argued about the best way to convince her, she looked down at the sleeping form which lay in her lap. Her brother, Hiei, had gotten sick about a week ago, before their village had been attacked and destroyed. She didn't know what he was sick with, but she knew that whatever it was, it was keeping him asleep for very long periods of time. Every few hours he would manage to wake up, just enough to reassure her he was alive, but then he would slip off again into unconsciousness. Her mother had been taking care of him… but now her mother was dead, along with the rest of her family.  
  
The young girl bit her lower lip and hugged him a bit closer, refusing to cry. Instead she turned her attention to the two strangers on the other side of the modest fire.  
  
The shorter of the two had red hair, not like that of any youkai she'd ever seen. He wore little clothing to cover his form, so it was easy for her to tell what he looked like. He reminded her of a youko, though he didn't have the long bushy tail and ears of most youko. Still, there was something in the way he moved and reacted to things that reminded her of the youko vendor who'd came to town once a month with his strange puzzle toys that no one could seem to solve. But then that fit, because youko were said to be very cunning creatures, and sometimes many people even doubted there was a solution to those puzzles and that it wasn't just a hoax to get money.  
  
The taller one, whom she'd heard called Kuronue, was definitely a nocturnal youkai. He was more strongly built then the deceptive youko, but not too much. If he'd stood up, he would have easily been twice her height, with his long disheveled black hair falling down to his waist, even when it was in a high ponytail. Bat-like wings jutted out from his back, hinting to a clan of youkai that was said to live high up in the mountain caves of the Makai forests, but she couldn't remember their name.   
  
Both of them were looking at her now, apparently having decided on a course of action. She hugged her brother a little closer, still not willing to let him go, but otherwise didn't move. They seemed friendly enough, even if they did argue with each other and Kuronue kept calling the other one 'kid' even though he certainly wasn't one. It was almost funny how they fought and she knew that had this taken place at any other time she might have been laughing, but the current situation wasn't one to smile in.  
  
The red head moved toward her and sat down in front of her and her brother. A soft smile spread across his face, already making her feel more relaxed with his friendliness.   
  
"My name's Kurama, what's yours?"  
  
"Yukina." She responded softly, figuring that there was honestly no harm in giving him a name. And she really wanted others to trust, or at least to talk to after being alone. She also knew that she had no way to take care of her brother and she didn't know the first thing about his condition.  
  
"You're a Koorime, aren't you?"  
  
Yukina nodded.   
  
"And who's this?" Kurama asked, point to Hiei. Yukina noticed that he made no move to touch Hiei, or move closer, apparently so that he didn't startle her.  
  
"My brother, Hiei."  
  
"He doesn't look like a Koorime," Kuronue commented from where he sat, poking at the fire with a long stick, trying to make it grow more.   
  
Yukina looked down at her brother, smiling softly as she lightly stroked his spiky black hair. "He's not… he's only half Koorime."   
  
Kuronue stood up and walked over a bit closer, leaning down to get a better look at Hiei. After a moment his eyes widened and he looked at Yukina. "He's a fire youkai, isn't he? That's why there were Koorime living out here in this area of the Makai, your parents are a fire youkai and a Koorime, aren't they?"  
  
Yukina nodded. "He's still my brother," she said softly, out of habit. Too many times she'd heard others criticize Hiei for being the child of two races that were never supposed to mate that she was so used to defending him. It made it especially worse because she wasn't a full Koorime herself, having the same parents, she just looked the part because that's how she was born. Still, it created quite the fuss in towns when the two were revealed to be brother and sister, since one would think that fire and ice don't mix. And in most cases they didn't… however this situation seemed to be the exception.  
  
"Relax kid, we didn't mean anything by it," Kuronue said, offering Yukina a friendly smile. He took a moment to glance at Kurama before leaving both of them alone and setting up a small contraption of metal over the fire to start boiling some water. Yukina found herself relaxing as she could smell whatever was in the pot. It was a rich and deep smell, yet there was only a hint of it in the air because it wasn't even close to warm and cooked yet. In spite of herself, she heard her stomach make a few noises and she fidgeted, looking down in embarrassment. She'd been so worried about her brother after the attack, that she couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten.  
  
"We have plenty of food to share, so there's nothing wrong with being hungry." Kurama offered her a warm smile and chanced moving a bit closer. She watched him but didn't move away, instead she just watched, waiting.  
  
"I'd like that," she added softly, answering his question a second later.  
  
"May I see him? He looks sick. Maybe we can help."  
  
Yukina bit her lower lip as a wave of sadness and relief hit her. She'd robbed herself of sleep and food, cuddling with him in the dark cellar, not knowing what else to do. And now the very prospect of someone being able to help had the effect of nearly bringing her to tears. She blinked her eyes quickly for a moment, not willing to shed any tears. Kurama simply kept his warm smile and moved to sit next to her. He moved in slow motions, motions that could easily be stopped and all she had to do was say something and she knew he would pull back immediately. The red haired youko seemed to have more patience then the rest of the Makai combined.  
  
His hand rested gently against Hiei's forehead and Yukina watched her brother for any reaction. She had no way to time him, but shouldn't he be waking up soon? It was usually once every day, and today he hadn't so much as twitched. She frowned in worry as she watched Kurama pull his hand back and glance at the wagon behind them before turning to her.  
  
"Yukina, your brother is very sick. I need to take him to my father, or he may be in serious trouble. Please."  
  
She nodded, letting go of Hiei, only to clench her fists tightly to keep control over her emotions. She refused to collapse on Hiei, not when he needed her the most. Instead she watched the redhead lift up his small body securely in his arms, hugging him close like a child. She stood quickly to her feet, hoping to signal to him that she'd let him carry Hiei, but she was going with, no matter what. Kurama didn't seem to mind, because he simply gave her a small nod and started toward the wagon while she followed behind.  
  
As they moved toward it she couldn't help but notice the wagon itself. The particular design didn't look familiar, but she'd seen a few like it. Generally they had traveled into the town around various harvest times and that's when the inhabitants mingled. Whoever they were, one would always see them mixing in with the town's people, dancing, laughing, drinking, performing… she'd never bothered to ask who they were because they were never around long enough to ask. A week at most and the wagon would be gone, presumably heading toward the next town, no answers left behind that anyone was willing to tell her about.  
  
This wagon was crudely crafted but looked amazingly sturdy, and it was easy to tell that it had lasted through many years of use. The wheels were newer, showing good care and replacement as they wore down, while several windows were closed along the sides. It seemed like the perfect size for two or three people to live in, and possibly even more if the group used it only to travel and generally slept out under the stars.  
  
Kurama held Hiei securely in his arms and opened the door. With a soft murmur he stepped into the wagon, moving toward the back end. Yukina meekly stepped in behind him and squinted her eyes, trying to see through the darkness.   
  
A couple minutes passed as the small scene started to come into focus. Slowly she was able to make out the inside of the wagon. Along one wall, securely made into part of the wall, were racks of bottles, apparently filled with wine or mead or some other strong drink she'd never had. Each bottle was made of a dark colored glass, the color being anything guess to her in the darkness, but she could tell it marked the drink as rare, because she'd never seen dark bottles like that except in very expensive booths.   
  
Clothes hung along both sides of the wagon from the ceiling, creating a multicolored and multi-fabriced curtain to block off both sides. On one side the curtain was closed, while on the other -- where Kurama had taken Hiei - was held open so she could see past it. The rest of the wagon was made into a large bed that went from wall to wall and was covered with pillows of odd shapes and colors, with blankets and everything having a patchwork texture to it. Yukina watched as Kurama gently laid Hiei down on the bed and tucked a quilt close around his shoulders, covering his entire small body in the thick fabric.   
  
Kurama turned and stepped past Yukina to the other curtain which was closed. She watched as he pulled it back, just enough to look in but she couldn't see past him.  
  
"Father?"   
  
The youko's voice dropped lower so Yukina couldn't hear it. She tried for a moment, but eventually gave up and just walked over to where her brother was sleeping silently. The young Koorime climbed up on the bed and hugged him tightly, gently kissing his forehead.  
  
"They'll take good care of you, I promise. Just get better, Hiei." She whispered to him softly. She kissed his forehead again, then climbed down off the bed and stepped out of the wagon.  
  
"Here."  
  
Yukina blinked and found Kuronue standing in front of her with a smile and steaming cup of something that smelled thick and filling. She smiled softly at him and took it. After taking a testing sip, she delightfully found that it was a type of soup that he'd apparently made from the canned and jarred foods in her parent's cellar. Her stomach grumbled in response and she quickly finished off the cup, smiling more at Kuronue.  
  
Kuronue responded with a chuckle and beckoned for her to follow him back to the camp fire. "There's plenty more. You seem pretty hungry, so just eat as much as you want."  
  
"What about Kurama and… and your father?"  
  
Kuronue blinked at her for a moment, then grinned. "Oh, Yomi? No worries, I can easily make more. Just come sit down and eat as much as you want."  
  
So Yukina did. Somewhere along the line she completely filled her stomach, the warm soup heating her entire body and making her quite sleepy. Without so much as a second thought she rested her head against Kuronue's shoulder and murmured something about just resting there for a moment…  
  
It wasn't long before she'd drifted off to sleep, leaning against the dark youkai. Kuronue simply smiled at her and went about tending to soup until Kurama and Yomi came to eat their shares and quietly joke about his new job as a pillow. 


	3. Part 3

Author's note: Hiei and Yukina's age will be addressed soon, no worries :)  
  
**  
  
Time passed in a blur, mostly filled with darkness that was occasionally interrupted by a quick light or the muted sound of someone's voice. He could never understand what they were saying to him, and he certainly couldn't respond, even if he'd wanted to. His mind had stopped long ago attempting to will his body to react, because he knew now that it just wouldn't. He had no idea how long he'd been floating in this dark haze. The world around him seemed to have disappeared, without any signs of reappearing, and he felt lost in thick fog, so thick that he couldn't even feel the ground beneath his feet and for all he knew he could be falling instead of walking.  
  
From time to time the haze around him grew warm and he'd find his body reacting by curling tighter and trying to hide from the heat, even though it was coming from inside of him. And every now and then he swore he'd actually opened his eyes and seen his sister, his mother or some other stranger watching him sleep. But those couldn't be real. Most likely it was just his mind trying to offer his body some sort of comfort through the pain it was suffering. He knew he was sick, he wasn't stupid. So he wasn't about to be fooled by something that could easily cause hallucinations and temperature change. No, he was sick, and would just have to wait until his body got better… if it did.  
  
The heat hit him hard then, rocketing through his body like a sheer physical force. He felt like he was burning from the inside out, which was the most unpleasant feeling in spite of his powers over fire. Heat curled up and locked around him, suffocating him until he could barely move and his mouth hung open, gasping for breath through a throat that felt like it had been covered in gravel and sharp rocks.  
  
It hurt too much, and he wanted to get away. He wanted to get away so much that his body did actually start to respond to him, and he felt himself jerking about as he tried to gain control of his limbs and make an escape. But something grasped his wrists tightly and tucked a thick blanket close around him. More heat, piled on top of the warmth that was already flowing through his body. He couldn't handle it, but he also knew now he couldn't fight it.  
  
Sweat soaked him, covering the thick blankets tucked around his body. He felt his skin was red, due to the heat, and the air smelled thick of some potent smoke and a few lightheaded herbs. The energy seemed to leak out of him and he just lay there, his mind too exhausted to care about how hot it was anymore.  
  
His eyes fluttered for a second, and he managed to make out something with his hazy vision. He was in a dark place, no sunlight anywhere in the vicinity. A candle was lit off to the side, providing a little light in the room, at least enough for him to focus by and make out a few details.  
  
Someone sat across from him, watching him silently as they attended to a warm wet cloth which was placed over his forehead. His eyes wouldn't stay focused long enough, so he couldn't tell who or what type of demon this being was.  
  
But he could see the dark red hair. And he could see the comforting smile.  
  
The figure smiled softly at him and murmured a few words that were meant to be soothing, even though he couldn't understand them in his sickened state. Still, the words had their desired effect, because he relaxed against the soft surface he was laying on and his eyes slid back shut. Suddenly the heat around him didn't seem quite so bad.   
  
***  
  
Music filled his ears. Soft tones and the steady beat from a small drum echoed through the place where he lay, gently nudging him from sleeping. Hiei opened his eyes to find his vision was no longer hazy, but rather only slightly blurred, and that was cleared up with a few blinkings of his eyes. He still felt a bit lightheaded, but as he sat up his body started to ground again, realizing it could move.  
  
Careful movements, which were painstakingly slow, brought him to the edge of the bed, until he jumped down and swayed a bit. But a few seconds later he found he was able to stand with only a minimum of help from the wall next to him. His legs still held his weight and he didn't feel too weak to move.   
  
The music was still there, now playing louder from outside of the cart he found himself to be in. Accompanied with it he could hear clapping and cheers along with the small twinkling of bells, just faintly hidden amongst the other sounds.  
  
Someone was outside dancing?  
  
He frowned and made his way to the door, pushing it open slowly. He knew he wasn't at home, that was simple enough, but he didn't even recognize the area the cart was sitting in. The trees were too thick, too old, to be in any area around where he was from. The cart he was in must have traveled a couple days distance at least while he was sick. The sky overhead was dark, but the moon and stars shone brightly, illuminating the area around him for his sore eyes. It didn't take long for him to make out a camp fire not too far from the cart, with a host of figures sitting around it. A path behind them led back to what he guessed was a town.  
  
And then there was the one dancing…  
  
Hiei stopped near the tree, resting his hand against it, and just stood there. He had enough energy to move closer, but he just didn't feel like moving at that moment. Rather, all he felt like doing was watching this strange being dance.  
  
The dancer was most definitely male, though he wore something that resembled women's clothing as his body moved to the music. Flowing garments of different shades of green created a skirt and a light top, while another was in his hands, flowing through the air to shadow and accentuate his movements. His eyes were closed as his body swayed and careful steps were taken. It wasn't a practiced dance, but rather he was letting the music travel completely through him, just moving to the music as he felt it. The movements alone would have looked slow and jerky and very uncoordinated. But in the firelight, with the soft flute and drums, and the twinkling of the bells attached to one of his ankles, it all seemed perfect together.  
  
The male dancer looked familiar to Hiei, and upon closer inspection he found the same shade of red hair and a hint of the same comforting smile. So whoever this stranger was, they were the one he'd woken up to taking care of him. He wanted to glance around the small camp, and try to figure out how he'd gotten here and where his sister was, but Hiei honestly couldn't take his eyes off the figure dancing. Something about those movements was mesmerizing, and he wasn't the only one caught.   
  
All the men around the camp fire also watched the dancer move. One sat, playing a small drum he'd brought with him, while the other played the flute, both obviously not from the same region as the dancer. Hiei guessed that all the men were from the local town, and whoever the dancer was, he'd stopped there for the night to provide some entertainment and perhaps get a little food out of it, or perhaps some money. Travelers like that weren't rare in the Makai, in fact the idea of living on the road had always appealed to Hiei, but he'd never given into the temptation because he wouldn't dream of leaving his sister.  
  
The red head, human-looking, dancer came to a stop, his graceful movements closing in what seemed like a natural end. The drums and the flute stopped a moment later, leaving the vibrations of the sound to fade into the night. Hiei watched, holding his breath, as the dancer made a few more graceful movements, then ended in an elaborate bow. The red head stopped dancing then and stood up, smiling at the men around the camp fire, effectively breaking the trace he'd brought on.  
  
It took a moment, but soon the men were clapping and expressing their like of the show. Hiei watched as one of the larger men decided he liked the show so much, he stood up to personally thank the dancer, by pulling him close into a very unwelcome kiss.  
  
"Now, now, boys." The voice came from a tree nearby and Hiei instinctively stepped back to hide himself as another form stepped out. This one wore a simple pair of black pants that were cut to show off a line of skin down his legs. He wore no shirt, and his bat-shaped wings stood out against his otherwise pale skin. Long black hair flowed around his body, not pulled back in any way it made it's own natural shirt, hiding just enough from view to make one curious.  
  
"Kurama here does the dances, but I do the 'aftershow' entertainment." As the dark haired youkai stepped toward the campfire, Hiei saw the redhead slowly step back and sneak away back toward the cart, somehow managing to stay completely silent in spite of the bells around his ankles.  
  
The other youkai moved into the group and easily sat among the men, striking up conversation mixed with winks and flirtatious looks. Hiei wasn't so young as to not know what was going to happen next, so he decided to not stay and watch. He turned away from the camp fire group and headed, slowly, back toward the wagon he'd woken up in.  
  
As he walked he let his mind wander. He knew he wasn't around home, but he doubted his family would have let him be taken anywhere without them coming along. So perhaps they'd started travelling to find someone to take care of his sickness. That would make perfect sense, and it would explain the strange surroundings and odd people. Perhaps there was another camp fire nearby where his family was sitting and talking for the night, and they'd left him to rest and get his sleep alone. Still… why travel with such a group? Makai roads were dangerous to single travelers, but he was sure that no one would mess with his father, and his mother wasn't nearly as sweet as she looked when threatened, especially when her children were involved.  
  
So then why the wagon? Why the red headed dancer and the other dark haired youkai? Had he stumbled upon another group that was camping nearby? Was the wagon something his parents had borrowed to travel? If so, why would his parents camp so close to-  
  
"Enjoy the show?"   
  
Hiei jumped and froze, the soft voice behind him startling him out of his thoughts. He spun around on instinct, but his body didn't like that. Right away his vision became spotted and the ground seemed to lunge out from under him. One minute he was standing and the next he found himself in someone else's arms.  
  
"Take it easy, you're not well enough to be moving so quickly."  
  
"Let go of me," he muttered gruffly, trying to pull out of the arms. He didn't like others that close to him. Hiei successfully pulled away and stood up, now facing whoever had spoken to him. He wasn't surprised to find it was the red haired dancer, now standing with that same green cloth wrapped around his shoulders to shrug off the chilly night air. The short fire demon took a step back, to put a safe distance between them as he watched the other warily.  
  
"You seem to be feeling a lot better, now that you're up and about." The dancer knelt down so that he was about the same height as Hiei. "You're name's Hiei, right?"  
  
Hiei's eyes narrowed at the dancer lowering to his knees. Was he mocking him because he was so short? He knew fire demons were well known for being tall and lanky with their limbs, well at least they were when they didn't have Koorime mothers. So what? Who cares? He hated it when people mocked him, so he settled for glaring at the person in front of him.  
  
"Who are you? And why am I here?" He demanded sharply, not caring how the dancer reacted to his words.   
  
"You were sick. Your sister asked us to take care of you."   
  
"Where are they? My family."  
  
Hiei watched a wave of sadness cross the dancer's face, and for a moment his eyes seemed to shift to a beautiful gold hue, before sinking back into the deep green. Concern and caring sat on that face, mixing in with the hint of sadness. Hiei frowned, recognizing the look as the same one he got when people found out about his mixed heritage and didn't want to kill him.   
  
Pity.  
  
The only thing he hated worse then being mocked was pity.  
  
His glare intensified and he gave up speaking with the dancer. Walking past him, he headed back for the cart and whatever else lay past it. He'd find his parents on his own. He didn't want anyone's pity and he certainly didn't want help from a mocking dancer who had nothing better to do.  
  
"Hiei, wait."  
  
"Go away. I'll find them on my own."  
  
And with that he completely walked off, leaving the dancer to stand there and silently watch him leave. He didn't need help. He didn't want help. He wasn't going to take any help from anyone. He just wanted to find his family.  
  
Kurama watched him walks away with a soft, yet sad smile, knowing that it wasn't the time to tell Hiei what had happened. He didn't have the heart to tell him. But hopefully his sister, Yukina, could. 


	4. Part 4

Kuronue blinked when he spotted Kurama sitting next to the camp fire early the next morning. He now had his hair pulled back and had gained a vest somewhere along the way, and the small pouch at his side was quite full thanks to his end of the 'entertainment'. Most mornings he wouldn't find anyone up this early, but Kurama was sitting there by the fire with a small stick in his hand, poking at the dying embers as the sky around them hinted toward sunrise.  
  
The dark haired youkai walked over and sat down on the log next to the red head youko, a smirk on his face. "Can't sleep?"  
  
"He hasn't come back yet."  
  
"He…?" There were only a handful of he's that Kurama could mean, but Kuronue was relatively sure that their father was sleeping in the wagon, as usual. So that left the kid. "You mean the kid, the kit's little brother?"  
  
Kurama nodded and gave a small yawn as he tossed the stick into the fire. "He was up and about last night, I ran into him after my dance. He's not very friendly, but then I'd be scared too if I woke up in an unfamiliar place without anyone I knew."  
  
"Where is he now?"  
  
"I don't know. He went that way," Kurama pointed away from the wagon and into the trees. "Haven't seen his sister either." Kurama let out another yawn, this one bigger then the last, and leaned over, resting his head on Kuronue's shoulder.  
  
Kuronue couldn't resist a small smile. He should have known that when they agreed for Kurama to watch over the sick little fire demon that the youko would take it as such a serious duty. Kurama was like that with most things, and caring to a fault along with it. So he must have stayed up all night, in hopes that Hiei would come back from talking to his sister. But apparently that hadn't happened, and Kurama was left here waiting for him and fighting sleep until dawn. Kuronue knew that the only reason Kurama's head was now leaning against his shoulder was that Kurama was now losing that battle to keep his eyes open.   
  
He smiled at the younger dancer and ran a light hand through his soft red hair. "Get some sleep, you silly kid. I'll go look for him."  
  
Kurama shook his head, but was caught by a particularly large yawn in the process. For a moment his face scrunched up in a look of disappointment at himself, but that wore off soon, shifting back to his normal cute youko face.   
  
"How come you're still awake. I know you've been up all night."  
  
Kuronue gave him a small smirk. "Sitting and watching a fire will put someone to sleep. Lying down and 'dancing' next to the fire… now that will definitely keep one awake." Kuronue winked at the younger youkai and touched the pouch at his side so it jingled a bit from the coins and other forms of payment within. "Your dance wore them out. Mine hardly got a show."  
  
Kurama gave a soft snort in response. Both of them knew exactly what type of 'dancing' Kuronue did.  
  
Kuronue smiled and stood up, gently pushing Kurama off his shoulder. "Go get some sleep. I'm going to go see where the little kits went to. Oh… and wake up father. He said he wanted to get to work early this morning."  
  
The red haired youko shook his head. "He's awake. He stepped out an hour or so ago."  
  
Well, that explained the reason why Kurama stayed at the camp fire and didn't go looking for his charge. They never left the wagon alone, especially not this close to a town.  
  
"Go get some sleep, you stupid fox." Kuronue repeated, his voice taking on a mocking commanding tone. Kurama responded by sticking out his tongue, before he curled into a ball next to the log, wrapping his green cloth around him for whatever warmth the small fire didn't provide against the morning dew, and to block the sun from his eyes.   
  
As soon as Kuronue was sure Kurama was actually going to sleep, he turned away from the fire and headed in the direction that Kurama had indicated.  
  
The forest around him wasn't that thick, the trees spread out a bit sparingly for most Makai forests. A couple demonic flowers bloomed here and there, snatching up smaller wild life for their morning breakfast as it just happened to slither or attempt to sneak by. Kuronue threaded his way across the forest floor, his bar feet making little to no sound. He was naturally a nocturnal youkai, and silence and stealth came naturally to him, though he had to admit they worked best at night.   
  
For now he simply moved silently as to make sure he didn't startle any one or thing awake before they expected to wake up. Makai creatures woken early in the morning had notorious tempers and were apt to attack you, no matter what the size difference was. Not to mention that some of the more dangerous plants operated on sound, rather then movement when they searched for their prey. Still, had he been really worried he would have simply invited Kurama along with him, but the plants really didn't bother him. They were just completely normal. One learned to survive with them, when one lived in the Makai.  
  
He found his 'prey' in a small clearing, not too far from the one they'd made camp in. The peeking sun lit up the area with soft rays, which reflected off the small lake and large boulder which filled the clearing. Two shapes lay against the boulder, resting there with little movement. From where he stood, Kuronue could see Yukina sitting against the large rock, with her brother resting his head in her lap, dozing softly as she threaded her fingers soothingly through his hair. Around them the ground was sparkling softly, and only when Kuronue stepped a bit closer did he realize that it wasn't the dew that was catching the new sun's light, but rather a small collection of Koorime tear gems.  
  
So now Hiei knew what had happened to their parents.  
  
Kuronue frowned quietly walked closer to them, letting his foot falls be louder this time, so they could hear him coming. Yukina was the only one who responded though, as her brother seemed fast asleep. She lifted a hand to clear away the softly sparkling lines from her cheeks, then turned a soft smile toward Kuronue, in greeting.  
  
Kuronue couldn't help but return a smile back to her as he knelt down next to them. "You should sleep closer to the wagon next time. We were worried where you'd disappeared to."  
  
"I didn't get to bury them, so I gave them a place instead." Yukina pointed to two trees standing near the shore, which at first glance looked to be of a white variety. Though, as Kuronue looked closer, he soon came to realize that the trees were covered in ice, making it look like winter and snow had suddenly come to cover just these two trees. And the job was done perfectly, because nothing was melting as the warm sun began to rise.  
  
His eyes traveled down and he found the sandy ground around the two trees was now a dark, imperfect glass, made of melted sand grains formed around the trees. He smiled a little and glanced back at the two. "And Hiei did that."  
  
Yukina nodded and stopped running her fingers through his hair, now just holding him in her lap. A moment later she looked back up with a grateful smile. "He seems to be doing a lot better now, thank you."  
  
"Thank Kurama, kit. He's the one who knows the plants. Speaking of which, we should head back to the wagon. We're not travelling for today, but I'm betting he's not completely healed yet. And sleeping out in the bright sun probably won't be good for him."  
  
Yukina nodded her agreement and pulled her hands back. Then she watched quietly as Kuronue knelt down and pulled Hiei into his arms. Hiei only stirred a little, but otherwise easily slipped back into sleep, resting there quietly. Yukina smiled softly at his reaction and stood up, gathering the tear gems in her hand. Before turning back to Kuronue she walked to the edge of the pond and dropped them into the water, then turned back.  
  
"I'm sure they love the gift," Kuronue said, nodding to the small piece of art the two twins had left on the shore.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
And the three headed back to the camp. 


	5. Part 5

Author's note: I know there have been questions about Kurama being in his human form from the show. This issue will be addressed, it'll just take a little bit. No worries though, it will be explained.  
  
Enjoy the chapter!  
  
Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves  
  
Part 5  
  
**  
  
Yukina stopped on the edge of the forest, when they reached the clearing with the wagon. A large youkai was sitting next to the fire, not making a single sound or moving, save for the small movements of his fingers against a large stone in his hands. Beside her Kuronue smiled.   
  
"It's ok. He won't bite. That's Yomi."  
  
Yukina looked back at the large youkai, curiosity filling her mind. She'd heard both Kurama and Kuronue mention Yomi's name a couple times within the last week, but she'd never actually caught more then a fleeting glimpse of the youkai, and usually that was when she went in the wagon to visit her brother and saw him move behind the curtain for the other small compartment. This was the first time she'd ever seen him outside the wagon and she couldn't help but wonder about him.  
  
Trusting Kuronue to take care of her brother, Yukina cautiously approached the smoking fire pit, her eyes watching the larger demon. He was tall, nearly her height while sitting on the single log they'd found. Long black hair, reminiscent of Kuronue's, poured down his back, held back from his face by a pair of large curved horns which framed his eyes. Four smaller horns jutted out from his hair along the sides of his head, while one very large horn curved down the back of his head, following his long and straight hair. His skin was darker, no where near as light as Kuronue's pale color or Kurama's near peach. His was almost a tanned brown, set off by the dark purple of his outfit.   
  
Yomi looked up as Yukina approached and she noticed one other aspect about him, his eyes were closed.  
  
He was blind.  
  
Yukina stopped in her steps and fidgeted. "Umm, hello," she said softly, watching his reactions.   
  
The larger youkai favored her with a soft smile. "You may come sit down, I have no desire to hurt you. You're the young one they found… named Yukina."  
  
Yukina nodded, then murmured a soft 'yes' after reminding herself that he seemed to be blind. Timidly she stepped forward, sitting on the very edge of the log he was on, just nearly within arm's reach. "And you're their father." She said softly.  
  
Yomi gave a soft chuckle and smiled. "Actually, no. Neither Kuronue nor Kurama are mine. I am more of a father figure, but I am not really their father. Both of them are orphans, such as yourself."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"You may sit closer. I understand you don't know me well, but I assure you that I have no intention of hurting anyone. And yes," he touched his closed eye lids lightly. "I am blind."  
  
Yukina found herself moving closer, her curiosity getting the better of her and this time she didn't stop it. Instead she moved closer on the log until she was practically sitting next to him. As such a close distance to him, she realized that he was telling the truth. While his horns and tall stance made him look threatening from far away, sitting this close to him she could tell how gentle he was. Something about him just seemed to project an air of calm. And the small friendly smile on his face didn't hurt either.  
  
"I would like to ask a favor, if I may."  
  
"Go ahead," Yukina responded softly, watching him.  
  
"Kuronue and Kurama have told me a little of you and your brother… but I would like to see you for myself. To… make the picture more solid in my mind."  
  
Yukina blinked. "I guess." She stayed very still, watching him. A blind youkai had just asked to see her, but he was blind so how was that possible? She didn't know how to respond or how to act. Her mother had always taught her to be polite to everyone and she knew she was close to overstepping her bounds in this situation. She didn't dare ask about his eyes or how he was going to see her, because the fact that he couldn't see might still be rather new. She didn't want to hurt his feelings in anyway or make him angry, especially since now her and Hiei had no where else to go. She would much rather stay with this mix-match of a family then be on her own again. Especially now that Hiei was getting better.  
  
Yomi seemed to sense her hesitation, at least a bit, because he didn't move toward her either. For a long moment, the both of them sat there silently, seeming to ponder each other and what to do next. Then, after a moment, Yomi slowly reached toward her.  
  
His large, dark fingers brushed lightly against her cheek and she didn't move. Strangely, his hands were smooth and warm, almost comforting in their touch. She'd expected, when she saw him, that his hands would be rough and coarse, being that he was such a large demon and looked so fierce from a distance. But he completely surprised her, because Yomi's hands actually reminded Yukina of her mother's.  
  
She sat there silently as his fingers slid over her face. Yukina let her eyes drift shut, imaging for the moment that it actually was her mother's fingers gently touching and memorizing each curve and contour of her face. The fingers slid down her cheek, across her lips with the lightest of touches, and then up across her nose, ending by brushing just softly over her eye lids. Then the fingers disappeared, but they returned for a moment to touch one of her side locks of hair, feeling its texture and length between his fingers.  
  
Yukina opened her eyes and smiled as Yomi pulled his hand back. He returned her smile, almost as if he knew she was smiling at him, and went back to holding whatever that stone was in his hand.  
  
"You are a beauitful young Koorime. Am I correct in guessing that if I were standing you would about reach my waist? Koorime are usually short for youkai."  
  
Yukina nodded, then quickly corrected herself. "Yes, my brother is also my height. But we're not that young. In fact, I'm guessing we're about the same age as Kurama, even if we don't look it."  
  
"No, you certainly don't."  
  
Yukina turned in surprise to see Kuronue stepping out of the wagon with a small pile of clothing. Kuronue flashed her a friendly smile as he walked over.   
  
"I thought you might actually like some new clothes. It's one of Kurama's old outfits, but it should fit you. If not I can cut off a bit from the bottom so the skirt isn't too long. It'll probably be better then your torn kimono, and cleaner too." He winked at that last part and handed her the pile.  
  
Yukina smiled and graciously accepted it, quickly heading behind the wagon. Once she'd made sure no one was watching she shed her old clothes and went about pulling on the new dress.  
  
The fabric was a golden color, matching the sun, and the flowers that grew on the edge of the mountain territories to the west. The top was little more then a cloth that started behind her neck, wrapped around her chest and then tied again in the back, near where the skirt started. Kuronue was right, because Yukina found the skirt to be a little too long, but she didn't really care. Other then that aspect, the dress fit her perfectly and she began to understand why Kurama would wear such things so often.  
  
Yukina knew the red haired youko was a male, that was easy enough to tell. But Kurama seemed to have a preference for outfits that more resembled what females commonly wore in the Makai. Long flowing skirts and small tops that would be revealing on any woman were what Kurama's small wardrobe consisted of. She'd thought it strange, but now that she was able to try one on she completely understood.   
  
The fabric was light and nearly weightless, while the design made her feel like she couldn't have moved more freely in her own skin. The outfit was one of the most comfortable things she'd ever tried on and she found herself hoping that Kuronue and Kurama would let her keep it. Because even if it was a little low cut, she loved it the moment she'd put it on.  
  
Yukina stepped back out, walking toward the fire pit easily, one hand hitching up the skirt so she didn't trip, while her other held her old outfit. Kuronue turned to see her and as soon as he did a grin crossed his face.  
  
"Careful there, kit, or you're going to look prettier then Kurama."  
  
Yukina found herself smiling and blushing a little at his comments. She thanked him then set her old clothes down by the fire. Kuronue moved toward her and tugged on the skirt a bit. Looking at the excess fabric he pulled a small hand blade from his pocket and began to cut it away so it was a better length.  
  
"I was thinking we should stop and pay Mukuro a visit. Since, if I'm not mistaken, we are in her territory." Yomi said in a conversational manner. Once again he was turning the stone over in his hands and as Yukina watched, it began to mold into a long tubular shape.  
  
Kuronue chuckled as he cut at the fabric. "Well, we are pretty close to where she stays this time of year. Yeah, let's stop by there, I haven't been drunk off my ass in a long time. And you know she's always able to convince you to open a bottle or two."  
  
Yomi frowned at Kuronue. "Kuronue," he chided, his voice holding a disapproving tone. But even Yukina could tell he didn't sound completely serious.  
  
Kuronue chuckled even more and sat back, gathering up the loose scraps of fabric and tossing them into what was left of the fire. "Oh come on, you know I'm joking… mostly." Kuronue winked at Yukina as he stood up and turned to face her. "In the meantime… your brother's sleeping soundly in the wagon. And as far as I know you can keep the dress. Since we're heading to Mukuro's I'm sure Kurama won't mind."  
  
Yukina took a seat on the log, smoothing out the dress in her lap. She loved the feel of the soft fabric against her fingers and couldn't help but smile a bit. "Who's Mukuro?"  
  
"She's an old friend," Yomi responded. Shifting in his seat he set the stone from his hand down on the ground, revealing that he'd somehow managed to shape the rock into what looked like a bottle. Yukina blinked at it in surprise as he continued.   
  
"I believe you will like her. She travels, like us, though not nearly as much since her company has grown quite large."  
  
Yukina blinked at Kuronue in question.  
  
"Don't worry kit, they're friends. You'll see in a couple days and I promise, they're real friendly. We'll tell you more about them tomorrow. You should really go get some sleep so we can head out right after the sun rises."  
  
Yukina nodded and bid them both good night. She would have liked to say good night to Kurama as well, but she didn't see him anywhere. A moment's pause and then she headed for the wagon, assuming he was off doing something else and probably wouldn't be back until much later. Not to mention the fact she has a suspicion that Kuronue wanted to speak with Yomi alone about something. So she listened to what the dark youkai said and climbed into the wagon, closing the door behind her.  
  
The wagon was now quite familiar to her and it wasn't any trouble for her to find her way in the dark. She ducked under the patchwork curtain and climbed onto the mountain of blankets and padding that served as the bed on that side. She found her brother easily, dozing with soft snores in the blankets. And Yukina settled herself down for the night, wondering who exactly Mukuro was, and what these other travelers would be like.  
  
** 


	6. Part 6

Sorry this part is so short... but the scene ended quickly. More coming, no worries.  
  
Enjoy  
  
-----Snow Tigra  
  
Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves  
  
Part 6  
  
Author's note: Yes, this fic was inspired by the Cher song with the same name. Yeah, I know, I'm sad. ^_^;;  
  
The next morning they set out bright and early, just as Yomi had said. The sun was just rising in the sky when Kuronue hooked up their one demonic horse and started the wagon moving. The wagon served many purposes and even though it wasn't in the best shape, it was the best possible ride anyone could get in the Makai, as was shown by the fact that Hiei and Yukina slept through most of the journey not even realizing they were moving.  
  
Time passed quickly and it wasn't long before Kurama could see the colorful pieces of fabric which marked off Mukuro's territory. Sashes of various brightly dyed colors were tied to branches, marking out which road led the right way into the forest. Kurama found himself smiling as Kuronue guided the horse using the cloths as guides, even though both of them knew their way by heart.  
  
Mukuro's territory was more like an elaborate camp made of a mixture of different wagons, carts and tents. Brightly panted colors were everywhere, on clothing, painted on wagons and on nearly everything these youkai used. It was a trait of theirs that was easily recognizable. Travelers in the Makai wore bright colors, showing with pride that they lived outside the normal life style and were both shunned and admired for it. As a result of this and many other factors, such travelers were found on the outskirts of towns and small cities all throughout the Makai. Mukuro's group was no exception. In fact she was one of the most well known of the group, simply for the size of her own little travelling caravan and their talent in nearly every field anyone could think of.  
  
Kuronue pulled the wagon to a stop in an empty space along the circle of already parked wagons and pitched tents and Kurama jumped down from the beside Kuronue, landing on the ground easily. Already other youkai were looking in their direction and nodded greetings, while a few others paused in their work to smile and wave happily. Kurama responded with his own waves, while Kuronue jumped down and locked up the wheels and let the horse loose to eat.  
  
"Kurama!"  
  
Kurama whirled around to face the voice, but didn't manage to turn around fast enough, before he was tackled to the ground in a tight and very friendly hug. Kurama opened him mouth to protest but only managed to laugh as the familiar red-headed youkai hugged him tightly.  
  
"You guys weren't supposed to be here until next moon! I'm glad you came early!"  
  
"Jin, get off him." A lower, more nasal voice, scolded him from behind.  
  
The one hugging Kurama and practically smothering him looked up and stuck out his tongue, but listened anyway and stood to his feet, offering a hand to help Kurama up. "So, how long are you staying? Wanna look around? You going to hang out with the rest of us, or go dance all by yourself again?"  
  
Kurama chuckled as he stood up and brushed himself off. "Calm down, Jin, I just got here. I have no idea how long we're staying, you'll have to ask father about that."  
  
Jin crossed his arms and frowned, as if he didn't believe Kurama, and just waited stubbornly for a better answer. Jin was as bouncy as ever, and Kurama wasn't surprised to see he hadn't changed a bit. His bright red hair, brighter then Kurama's, bushed around his head with little care, setting off the small white horn in the middle of his forehead. His blue eyes were still lit with a childlike excitement that he always had, curious about everything and energetic to a fault. His clothing was small and simple, just a wrap-around around his waist and a pair of old worn boots that looked to be at the point where they were so beat up they were the most comfortable thing in the world, and about ready to fall apart if he stepped wrong.   
  
The one who had scolded Jin a second ago, stepped forward and ignored his friend's accusing gaze which was still focused on Kurama. This one was completely different from his partner, with short blue tinted hair that was smoothed back over his head, with only a few teal colored strands coming down over his face. His eyes were more slanted, his whole face a bit more severe in it's nature then the jolly wind-riding youkai beside him. Touya stepped up to Kurama and extended a hand in greeting, a rare small smile pulling at the edge of his lips. Kurama returned the handshake and smiled brightly back.  
  
"Maybe one day, when you show up, he'll learn not to jump you."  
  
Kurama smirked. "Not likely. Maybe one day I'll learn to look out for him… or to move faster." Kurama winked at Touya and stepped back, looking at both of them. He frowned at Jin. "Oh quit looking at me like I'm lying to you. I have no idea how long we're staying!"  
  
Jin frowned a bit more, then suddenly broke and burst into a fit of giggles, returning back to his jolly self. Grinning at both of them he spun around on his heels and sped off, in Kuronue's direction. No doubt to harass the winged youkai about the same answers he tried to get out of Kurama. Kurama almost pitied Kuronue having to deal with Jin… almost.  
  
"You don't know anything at all?" Touya pressed out of curiosity, watching Kurama with careful eyes.   
  
Kurama shrugged, knowing the questions were normal. Yomi's wagon used to travel with Mukuro's, long before he'd come along and for some reason or another he'd chosen to break off on his own and not travel with them. That was before he'd lost his sight, or so Kurama had been told. So every time they came back, even though they were always welcome, it was always met with some questioning, because Yomi always seemed to have a reason for it.   
  
Kurama leaned back against a tree, next to the wagons. "My guess would be it has partly to do with the two new friends we have in the wagon, but that's about as much as I know. One of them is sick, but he seems to be mostly healed now."  
  
"Yomi picked up two more strays?" Touya's eyes slid over to the closed door of the wagon and he tilted his head a bit in thought, then shrugged. "I'll go tell Itsuki, since Yomi will probably want to talk to him if one of them is sick. The girls are near the main tent, just a heads up."  
  
"Thanks for the warning," Kurama responded. Touya nodded, then turned and headed off toward a wagon decorated with bundles of plants, all hanging out to dry and marking it as Itsuki's wagon.   
  
Kurama stayed leaning against the tree, savoring the small moment of quiet. He loved visiting Mukuro's camp, but he also knew that as soon as Jin stopped harassing Kuronue and word got around that they were in the camp, he wouldn't have a moment's peace. So he just leaned there, listening to the sounds around him and watching Yomi's wagon. He watched Kuronue finally succeed in shooing away Jin, probably by threatening to knock off his horn, and the wind-rider headed straight for where Touya had said the girls were, giggling and ready to spread the news.  
  
Kurama smirked a bit, and then started to count how long it would take for the girls to find him. Maybe they wouldn't break their record and he'd have a few more minutes of freedom….  
  
But not likely.  
  
** 


	7. Part 7

Author's note: I know nothing about Itsuki's character. I meant to look him up on the internet but I couldn't find a decent page about him and I haven't seen that far in the series yet, so yeah, I'm out of luck. Thus his personality and character has been pulled completely out of my ass. Sorry to all Itsuki fans if I've butchered him. ^_^;;;  
  
Hiei's eyes flickered around the small tent as he perched on the chair, watching the other two youkai talking near the entrance. Kuronue was speaking to another male youkai, who looked to be about his age in body, but much more around Yomi's age in maturity.   
  
Hiei had heard his name before, least he thought so. Kuronue had called the other youkai Itsuki, and as far as Hiei could tell that was his name. Itsuki was a male youkai with long green hair, that brushed just past his shoulders, a small scrap of brightly patterned cloth held back one side from covering his face, while the other side was allowed to flow free and occasionally cover his eye as he nodded and listened patiently. He wore a mix-match of clothing, more patchwork then what the others seemed to prefer in the travelling group. Yet his clothing was still sewn together with care and certainly wasn't a quick draping of rags. Golden eyes, with a slight tinge of red, stayed focused on Kuronue the entire time as he spoke in a soft voice, that Hiei couldn't hear.  
  
But he didn't really need to hear what they were talking about, he knew already. He knew they were talking about him. Why else would Kuronue have brought him to this tent to sit and wait for them to do something or speak to him? A quick glance around told him the Itsuki was a healer of some sort, or that he at least had a fair knowledge of plants from various areas of the Makai. Hiei could see many plants hanging from the ceiling as they dried out, along with a chest that was sitting open on one side of the tent, filled with containers of crushed plants, strange colored dust and other weird odds and ends. The contents of the chest almost looked like something a performer would bring to do silly little tricks with, or to barter rare items to older youkai who cared about such a thing. But Itsuki certainly didn't seem the type to do that. His chest was packed with too much order and care for others to have browsed through it.  
  
Hiei's eyes went back to the two who were speaking at the door, still in their hushed voices. He found himself frowning at them in impatience, wishing they would do something. He didn't like sitting in the chair. It felt uncomfortable, and he didn't like being in an unfamiliar tent in a camp that was full of people he knew nothing about. Being in an unfamiliar town would have been one thing. But a camp full of travelers? That was completely different.  
  
Travelers were known for picking up all sorts of youkai in their midst, not being picky or choosy about whether one was a wind-rider, Koorime or cannibalistic. It didn't matter, because they let in anyone. This was great for those who needed a home and weren't accepted by others, but it also led to lots of trouble, because you never knew who was lurking in the next tent over.  
  
Hiei fidgeted again in his seat, eyeing the door. He wanted to leave. But more importantly, he wanted to know where his sister was. He didn't like the idea of Yukina wandering around the camp, even if she was with Kurama or Yomi. He didn't know them well enough yet to trust them that much with his sister. So he just sat there and fidgeted, trying not to race out the door.  
  
After a moment Itsuki nodded to Kuronue and stepped back, walking to where Hiei was sitting. Hiei frowned back at the taller youkai, never blinking or turning away as Itsuki calmly studied him. Hiei reacted much like a younger animal, determined to stare down the larger one in front of him. Meanwhile Itsuki just watched him quietly, his eyes calmly scanning over Hiei's entire body as he looked him over. Finally Itsuki reached forward and placed his palm against Hiei's forehead. Hiei glared daggers at him, silently waiting.  
  
Kuronue walked over and stood next to them. "Well?"  
  
Itsuki didn't answer for a long moment, then the hint of a smile crossed his lips. He walked over to his chest and grabbed what looked like a strange plant branch, then returned to Hiei. "Open your mouth. I want you to suck on this for a moment."  
  
Hiei frowned at the small plant, but decided not to protest. The sooner this was all over, the sooner he could go look for Yukina. So he nodded slowly and took the plant, sucking on it for a moment. A second later, at Itsuki's beckoning, he spat the plant back out. Hiei couldn't help but blink a little when he saw it had changed color.  
  
Itsuki only seems to smile a bit more, looking amused.  
  
"You're a fire demon, right? With Koorime blood?"  
  
Hiei automatically frowned, going on the defensive. "Yes."  
  
"Well, that explains it."  
  
"Explains what?" Kuronue glanced between the two of them, looking completely confused.  
  
"He has a cold."  
  
Hiei blinked at that, looking almost as confused as Kuronue now. Though he didn't think the expression on his face was nearly as laughable.  
  
"A cold," Itsuki repeated as he continued to look through his chest. "They are quite common for Koorime, but obviously don't effect them that much because of their nature. The real problem comes in when the Koorime mate with another race that is there opposite. A cold is just a headache at most for any Koorime… for a fire demon it can be deadly. Luckily though, it looks like your little friend has gotten through the worst of it already. He just needs rest now for it to finish going away completely."  
  
"That's it… it was that simple?"  
  
Itsuki stopped for a moment and glanced up, regarding Kuronue with an amused look. "I suppose if you're that disappointed I could give him some other disease and make him sicker. But I hardly think that's what you want. A simple thank you will do."  
  
Kuronue looked puzzled for a moment, then chuckled, running a hand through the back of his long pony tail in a nervous gesture. Apparently a comment like that wasn't exactly a joke with Itsuki.  
  
"Uhh, yeah, thanks." Kuronue turned back to Hiei and flashed him a grin. "Well, lets get back to the wagon then, you should probably get some more sleep."  
  
Hiei responded with a snort and jumped down off the chair. Without looking back at Kuronue or Itsuki he left the tent, heading in the opposite direction of the wagon and where he was supposed to rest. As far as he was concerned he wasn't dying, so his sister was more important to him. With that in mind he set out to look for her, and luckily no one tried to follow and stop him.  
  
**  
  
Yomi sat silently in one of the larger tents, his legs crossed as he awaited the other in the room to speak. He may have been blind, but he knew exactly whose tent he was sitting in and he knew exactly who was sitting in front of him at that very moment. He'd known her for years and didn't need to see her to know that she hadn't changed a bit. Mukuro had remained the same in all the years he'd been able to see, there was no reason she would have changed now.  
  
He remembered that she was a tall woman, tall for the female youkai that is. His vague memory painted her with orangish red hair, that was more dull then it was interesting, cut unevenly along her shoulders in haste or dis-care. The rest of her was tall and thin, allowing one the illusion that she was weak and perhaps more helpless then most youkai. However, if ever an assumption were made, it was quickly corrected. In spite of her apparent 'frailty' Mukuro was a force to be reckoned with, able to easily hold her own against some of the best fighting youkai the Makai had ever seen.   
  
And if one didn't see her fight, all they had to do to believe that rumor was look at her. Yomi knew well that Mukuro sported many scars from her previous life before she began travelling with the others. The three most obvious scars were on the left side of her body. The left side of her face was horribly scarred beyond repair, to the point that her left eye was nearly useless, save in rare occasions. A section of her arm was missing its skin, showing off a collection of veins and muscle for the passerby to see, while her leg also sported just such a large patch. Thanks to Itsuki's help the patches didn't bleed anymore, but they never fully healed either.  
  
Yomi had once asked Mukuro about them and she'd simply replied that she didn't wish for them to heal. If she'd wanted them to heal, she wouldn't have scared herself in the first place.  
  
Yomi also knew that no matter what Mukuro wore, she always had a small piece of cloth covering the scarred half of her face from sight. The other wounds were left in the open for others to see, and be wary of.  
  
"This isn't a social call, is it?"  
  
Mukuro spoke softly from her place a few feet away from Yomi. Yomi knew they were both kneeling on the ground in a very formal manner, which befit their ranks. Both were Makai lords in their own right, or at least in the world of travelers. Both the names 'Yomi' and 'Mukuro' were well known all across the Makai. In fact their names were more well known then the current three lords who ruled over the whole Makai, which at least made them feel like lords, even if they didn't have the official titles.  
  
"It never is just a social call." Yomi confirmed for her quietly.  
  
He heard her give a soft smirk, which was usually accompanied by a small smirk on her lips.  
  
"No, I suppose it never is. And here I'd thought you missed me."  
  
Yomi returned his own very small smirk. "I always miss you, old friend."  
  
Mukuro paused and didn't speak, apparently accepting that answer. But she'd started the first part of the conversation and he'd followed, reassuring her of his friendship and non-violent intentions. Now it was time to truly explain himself.  
  
"My wagon has been travelling a steady course west to east for most of the year now, aiming in reaching your camp two moons from now. On our travels we've encountered more then a fair number of towns which were cleared out, all the youkai scattered in death to the point of stench. There hasn't seemed to be a pattern, save that it is happening in many places. I have my suspicions as to who-"  
  
"Hunters." Mukuro hissed out the word, her voice communicating exactly how much hatred was in her mind and stance at the moment. Yomi paused in his speaking and frowned with her, then gave a very small nod.  
  
"I had suspected as much, but didn't want to jump to conclusions. Or perhaps I hoped I was overreacting."  
  
"You're not." Mukuro stood up and Yomi could hear her move to lean against one of the tent posts, as she was ought to do when troubled. "You're not mistaken because I've heard similar reports from other such wagons who have been passing through. Not to mention that the men who come to our camp fires for nightly diversions have whispered of such things. From what I have gathered the hunters are growing in number and are slaughtering youkai for their pleasure, their rarities and even perhaps their flesh."  
  
Yomi frowned. Flesh eating youkai were some of the worst out there, for they never obeyed any one code as a whole. One never knew when the youkai beside them could be one of those who'd developed a taste for the flesh of their own kind.  
  
"I also have heard that you've picked up two more with your wagon. Who are they?"  
  
"Two kids."  
  
Yomi turned his head a bit as Kuronue's voice came from the entrance of the tent. He couldn't help but smile to himself, as he knew that Mukuro was frowning in distaste. She wasn't one to like surprises or being interrupted, but Kuronue had permission to walk in, since there was only so much Yomi could report without the use of his eyes. It was a silent agreement between him and Mukuro that Kuronue could be present, however she preferred to not show the nocturnal youkai that she approved, for her own reasons.  
  
Kuronue surely was smiling as he crossed the tent and dropped down next to Yomi on the floor. Without wasting a moment he leaned back against Yomi's shoulder, reclining there and playing with a strand of his hair. Mukuro remained standing against the tall wooden pole support beam.  
  
"Two cute little kits, who aren't as young as they look. Both of them are halfbreeds, mixes between Koorime and fire-types. The cute girl is called Yukina and she's predominantly Koorime, while her brother is named Hiei and is predominantly a fire-type. He's got quite the pissy little temper to match too."  
  
Mukuro seemed to direct her attention to Kuronue. "And the one named Hiei is sick, if I heard correctly."  
  
"Yep. He's got a cold, of all things. But we had Itsuki check on him and he should be right and ready soon, easily enough. Which really means he'll just be pissy and healthy now."  
  
"And the empty towns you found? They were from one?"  
  
Yomi felt Kuronue stiffen a bit against him, and then the nocturnal youkai sat up, going serious. "Yeah. We found them in a basement, huddled together and scared. I haven't asked them much about it yet, but I'm sure their parents were among the ones killed. Whoever did it didn't take the time to loot the village or anything. They just swept through and killed what they found, then left. The place was burned too, with a lot of collapsed buildings."  
  
Mukuro gave a soft sigh. "Your report matches others, perfectly. So it appears we have at least one band of hunters roaming the Makai with intents of collecting trophies of the dead or eating them."  
  
"Hunters come and hunters go. Nothing changes." Kuronue returned to leaning against Yomi, apparently going back to his carefree self once more. Yomi had the urge to comment, but he knew better.  
  
He knew little of Kuronue's past, but most travelers were the of one or two circumstances. Either they were thrown out of their own home and family, with nowhere else to go, or they were nearly wiped out and the last of their kind, seeking shelter in a place where they could be accepted. Yomi didn't know which circumstance Kuronue came from, but he suspected it was the latter of the two, because he hadn't heard of another nocturnal youkai from the mountain region for quite some time.  
  
"My, aren't we relaxed?" Mukuro's voice took on a slightly teasing tone.  
  
Kuronue responded with a chuckle. "It's my job to relax people, Muku-chan. Perhaps you should take advantage of my services while I'm available."  
  
Mukuro pushed off the pole and walked over to them, leaning down toward Kuronue's face. "I'll pass. I'm sure you have your fill of customers." Then she exited the tent.  
  
Yomi chuckled softly on his own. Some people never changed. Especially Mukuro.  
  
** 


	8. Part 8

**  
  
Author's note: Once again I'm introducing more characters that I don't know too much about from the show. I've taken some liberties with their powers, especially in the case of Botan to make her fit into the Makai. If I get something wrong, oh well. I am simply molding characters to fit in this AU world.  
  
Yukina walked around the camp curiously. Her eyes roamed about her, glancing among the various travelers as they went about their daily routine. She saw some cooking, some cleaning, some stitching… every activity one could thing of was going on all around her. The various tents and wagons seemed just scattered in the large clearing, but as Yukina explored she found the place had the feel of a small town. Everyone was friendly with each other and many of the travelers nodded greetings to her and said hello, even though she knew none of them knew her. It felt safe and friendly.  
  
It felt and reminded her of home.  
  
The young Koorime paused by a tree to just look around at all the wagons and tents. Ever since her home had been burned to the ground and nearly everyone had been killed, she hadn't really thought about finding some place new or what she would do after that. Yukina was sure she'd lost her home when her parents died, and her idea of 'home' had shifted to where ever her brother was. Home was where they could be together and be safe. She loved her brother Hiei like no one else, and she was perfectly willing to do anything to keep him safe.  
  
But now another thought was beginning to grow in her mind. And for a while she considered what exactly she was going to do now. After all, Hiei was getting better and soon he wouldn't be sick at all. Then what? She hadn't thought that far ahead before.  
  
"I think I'd like to stay here," she murmured softly to herself with a smile.   
  
Behind her laughter could be heard, along with the soft notes of a wind instrument being played. Yukina pushed off from the tree and headed toward the sounds, intent on seeing what was going on.  
  
Her wanderings soon led her through a row of trees to a smaller clearing near a patch of berry bushes. In the center of the small clearing she sees five other youkai sitting around as another danced cheerfully in their center. They seemed to be having a great deal of fun, because all were smiling and clapping with the music as the girl in the center danced around. It wasn't long before she reached over and took the hand of one of the ones sitting down and pulled her up to join her in dancing.  
  
Yukina leaned against a tree and watched all of them with a bright smile, just enjoying the little show.  
  
She recognized Kurama sitting on the ground, dressed in his normal green outfit as he clapped with the music. Beside him sat a slightly shorter youkai with small eyes and sea-green colored hair, playing a small wind instrument made of many pipes. Further down, sitting next to the young male, was another with wild red hair and a horn in the middle of his forehead. His entire face was covered with a gleeful smile as he clapped happily and whistled off key to the music, much to the dismay of the wind player.  
  
The two girls dancing looked like rare youkai that certainly weren't from the area Yukina was used to. The taller of the two had many marine qualities, including a tail and webbed ears, with scales winding around her body in beautifully intricate designs under her flowing outfit. While her dancing partner had a bright red fox tail and matching ears on her head, obviously from one of the off-shoots of the rare youko.  
  
Finally, the last girl sat a little ways from Kurama. Her hair was a beautiful light blue color, pulled back into a high ponytail which curled a little down at the very edges. She seemed quite content to focus her eyes on Kurama more then the dancers, even if he ignored her.  
  
Yukina's attention was drawn back to the middle of the small circle as the male youkai with the wild red hair stood to his feet and began dancing with the two girls. His movements were uncoordinated and clumsy but he seemed to be having enough fun in his attempts to dance. The two girls danced with him, laughing the entire time at his antics, until finally the one playing the instrument stopped and grabbed the redhead's pant leg.  
  
"Sit down Jin!"   
  
Jin, the red head with the horn, turned and pulled away from the other, sticking his tongue out at him. But he stopped dancing and turned to face him, hands on his hips. "You sour puss, why can't I join them?"  
  
"Because you're a guy," giggled the one with the scales.  
  
"So is Kurama," Jin pointed out quickly. "Or is it because he looks so much like a girl in his dresses and skirts?"  
  
Kurama made a sour face at Jin while the others laughed. Then he stood up and brushed off his skirts and was about to open his mouth, when the other with the instrument interrupted him.  
  
"He can dance. They can dance. Put simply, you can't, because you don't know how. Now sit down, baka."  
  
Jin nearly glared at the other boy, looking quite offended by that remark. Still, Yukina noticed that he did listen and plopped down on the ground next to the other, crossing his arms and looking generally pissy the whole time. "Well, fine. I'll just sit here and watch them and then next time I'll be able to dance and you won't stop me." Yukina giggled softly at hearing his muttering.  
  
"Yukina?"  
  
She blinked and stopped, her eyes widening. She must have giggle too loud, because Kurama had definitely heard her and he was the one who'd said her name. So now, of course, the entire group was looking at her. Yukina stepped back behind the tree, suddenly feeling like she'd been spying on something she wasn't supposed to have seen, and she just wanted to sink into the ground. It wasn't too long before Kurama circled the tree and was standing next to her.   
  
"Would you like to join us?"  
  
The Koorime blinked and looked up at him in surprise. "Join you? No, I couldn't. I shouldn't even have been watching…" But that thought was silly, she realized as soon as it was spoken. She hadn't seen anything wrong, she just felt overly shy. She was used to people picking on her for being a Koorime with a fire demon for a father, or for being a mixed breed. She wasn't used to being invited into things. Defending one's self was a lot different then accepting invitations.  
  
"Come on, it'll be fun. I'll even show you how to dance, since you are wearing one of my old dancing dresses."  
  
Yukina glanced down at the golden dress she was wearing, remembering that yes it had been Kurama's. After a moment's thought she glanced back up at him shyly and let him take her hand, leading her back to the group.  
  
Well, she figured, she had thought about staying here once Hiei got better. So what could it hurt to get to know the people more? And it did look like fun…  
  
** 


	9. Part 9

Author's note: Once again I'm introducing more characters that I don't know too much about from the show. I've taken some liberties with their powers, especially in the case of Botan to make her fit into the Makai. If I get something wrong, oh well. I am simply molding characters to fit in this AU world.  
  
Yukina walked around the camp curiously. Her eyes roamed about her, glancing among the various travelers as they went about their daily routine. She saw some cooking, some cleaning, some stitching… every activity one could thing of was going on all around her. The various tents and wagons seemed just scattered in the large clearing, but as Yukina explored she found the place had the feel of a small town. Everyone was friendly with each other and many of the travelers nodded greetings to her and said hello, even though she knew none of them knew her. It felt safe and friendly.  
  
It felt and reminded her of home.  
  
The young Koorime paused by a tree to just look around at all the wagons and tents. Ever since her home had been burned to the ground and nearly everyone had been killed, she hadn't really thought about finding some place new or what she would do after that. Yukina was sure she'd lost her home when her parents died, and her idea of 'home' had shifted to where ever her brother was. Home was where they could be together and be safe. She loved her brother Hiei like no one else, and she was perfectly willing to do anything to keep him safe.  
  
But now another thought was beginning to grow in her mind. And for a while she considered what exactly she was going to do now. After all, Hiei was getting better and soon he wouldn't be sick at all. Then what? She hadn't thought that far ahead before.  
  
"I think I'd like to stay here," she murmured softly to herself with a smile.   
  
Behind her laughter could be heard, along with the soft notes of a wind instrument being played. Yukina pushed off from the tree and headed toward the sounds, intent on seeing what was going on.  
  
Her wanderings soon led her through a row of trees to a smaller clearing near a patch of berry bushes. In the center of the small clearing she sees five other youkai sitting around as another danced cheerfully in their center. They seemed to be having a great deal of fun, because all were smiling and clapping with the music as the girl in the center danced around. It wasn't long before she reached over and took the hand of one of the ones sitting down and pulled her up to join her in dancing.  
  
Yukina leaned against a tree and watched all of them with a bright smile, just enjoying the little show.  
  
She recognized Kurama sitting on the ground, dressed in his normal green outfit as he clapped with the music. Beside him sat a slightly shorter youkai with small eyes and sea-green colored hair, playing a small wind instrument made of many pipes. Further down, sitting next to the young male, was another with wild red hair and a horn in the middle of his forehead. His entire face was covered with a gleeful smile as he clapped happily and whistled off key to the music, much to the dismay of the wind player.  
  
The two girls dancing looked like rare youkai that certainly weren't from the area Yukina was used to. The taller of the two had many marine qualities, including a tail and webbed ears, with scales winding around her body in beautifully intricate designs under her flowing outfit. While her dancing partner had a bright red fox tail and matching ears on her head, obviously from one of the off-shoots of the rare youko.  
  
Finally, the last girl sat a little ways from Kurama. Her hair was a beautiful light blue color, pulled back into a high ponytail which curled a little down at the very edges. She seemed quite content to focus her eyes on Kurama more then the dancers, even if he ignored her.  
  
Yukina's attention was drawn back to the middle of the small circle as the male youkai with the wild red hair stood to his feet and began dancing with the two girls. His movements were uncoordinated and clumsy but he seemed to be having enough fun in his attempts to dance. The two girls danced with him, laughing the entire time at his antics, until finally the one playing the instrument stopped and grabbed the redhead's pant leg.  
  
"Sit down Jin!"   
  
Jin, the red head with the horn, turned and pulled away from the other, sticking his tongue out at him. But he stopped dancing and turned to face him, hands on his hips. "You sour puss, why can't I join them?"  
  
"Because you're a guy," giggled the one with the scales.  
  
"So is Kurama," Jin pointed out quickly. "Or is it because he looks so much like a girl in his dresses and skirts?"  
  
Kurama made a sour face at Jin while the others laughed. Then he stood up and brushed off his skirts and was about to open his mouth, when the other with the instrument interrupted him.  
  
"He can dance. They can dance. Put simply, you can't, because you don't know how. Now sit down, baka."  
  
Jin nearly glared at the other boy, looking quite offended by that remark. Still, Yukina noticed that he did listen and plopped down on the ground next to the other, crossing his arms and looking generally pissy the whole time. "Well, fine. I'll just sit here and watch them and then next time I'll be able to dance and you won't stop me." Yukina giggled softly at hearing his muttering.  
  
"Yukina?"  
  
She blinked and stopped, her eyes widening. She must have giggle too loud, because Kurama had definitely heard her and he was the one who'd said her name. So now, of course, the entire group was looking at her. Yukina stepped back behind the tree, suddenly feeling like she'd been spying on something she wasn't supposed to have seen, and she just wanted to sink into the ground. It wasn't too long before Kurama circled the tree and was standing next to her.   
  
"Would you like to join us?"  
  
The Koorime blinked and looked up at him in surprise. "Join you? No, I couldn't. I shouldn't even have been watching…" But that thought was silly, she realized as soon as it was spoken. She hadn't seen anything wrong, she just felt overly shy. She was used to people picking on her for being a Koorime with a fire demon for a father, or for being a mixed breed. She wasn't used to being invited into things. Defending one's self was a lot different then accepting invitations.  
  
"Come on, it'll be fun. I'll even show you how to dance, since you are wearing one of my old dancing dresses."  
  
Yukina glanced down at the golden dress she was wearing, remembering that yes it had been Kurama's. After a moment's thought she glanced back up at him shyly and let him take her hand, leading her back to the group.  
  
Well, she figured, she had thought about staying here once Hiei got better. So what could it hurt to get to know the people more? And it did look like fun… 


	10. Part 10

Kuronue stood in the trees just a few feet away from where the group was dancing. He watched all of them moving around and laughing together as they usually did. Whenever they ventured back to Mukuro's main camp, Kurama could always be found with the same group, no matter how much he joked about avoiding their company. So Kuronue wasn't surprised to find him there at all. What he was surprised at was when Kurama stepped into the trees and urged Yukina out after him, getting her to join the little party. All of them collectively jumped in and began to teach the young Koorime how to dance and put Kurama's borrowed dress to it's full potential.  
  
Botan and Kurama mostly helped her while Jin tried to help, and was immediately pulled back down to sit next to Tooya before his idiotic movements caused him to injure himself or someone else. The girls laughed at the red-haired and horned demon while he resigned himself to sitting next to Tooya, his arms crossed over his chest and his face arranged in an adorable pout.  
  
As Kuronue watched the small group two arms came in from behind him, effectively and expertly avoiding his wings in the embrace. Kuronue blinked in surprise at the touch but he stopped when he saw the arms, recognizing them. Jagged black markings jutted up, down and around the pale skin beneath, looking almost tribal in their nature. The fingernails were naturally black, matching the markings and accenting his fingers beautifully. Kuronue leaned back into the arms, enjoying the embrace and let his eyes close.  
  
"You look like you're almost longing to join them," said the soft, low voice right behind the nocturnal youkai's ear.  
  
Kuronue chuckled a bit. "You should know by now that's not the kind of dancing I go in for." Kuronue pulled away and turned to face the one behind him. Not to his surprise he found himself facing another youkai just a little bit shorter then himself with wild black hair hanging down his back. The tribal markings flowed up his arms and across his chest, continuing below his waist line and disappearing under the not-so-loose pants he wore. Kuronue knew the markings covered nearly every inch of his body. He'd spent many a pleasurable night exploring where exactly the markings disappeared to.  
  
"I know what kind of dancing you 'go in for'." He teased, making no move to hide the fact that he was looking over Kuronue's body.  
  
"Oh really? Then why don't you show me, Yuusuke?"  
  
The youkai smirked and stepped forward, then with little warning he pressed Kuronue back against the tree, catching his lips in a deep and hungry kiss. Kuronue didn't object or resist. In fact, he responded by melting into the kiss and wrapping his arms around Yuusuke's waist. He had no objections because Yuusuke was one of his favorite customers. If there was ever a chance of him starting to like anyone beyond what his occupation required-  
  
The thought was cut off as he felt Yuusuke's hand slide down and grope his ass none-too politely. Kuronue frowned and shoved Yuusuke away, breaking the kiss instantly and locking Yuusuke with a sharp glare. The marked youkai stumbled back chuckling.  
  
"Must you do that? You've got starting the moment down, and then you destroy it all with your crazy obsession with squeezing my ass. I don't understand you."  
  
Yuusuke chuckled more and smirked. "I can't help it, you know, when you show off your ass like that it's just begging-"  
  
"I wonder if your father was this perverted," Kuronue muttered, turning and heading back to the main area of the camp.  
  
"Oh come on, Kuronue! You know I was just joking!"  
  
"Hmph." Kuronue ignored him and kept walking. It always happened like this, it was how he always acted. He always ruined the moment, but then somehow he always managed to sweep Kuronue off his feet anyway a few moments later. Something about his clumsy and moronic nature was enduring almost like a younger sibling who tagged after you. But Kuronue didn't like to make that comparison because he slept with Yuusuke, and even in the Makai one doesn't sleep with their siblings, so that comparison made him feel uneasy at least. So he just decided to call Yuusuke a moron - a sexy moron, but a moron none the less - and leave it at that.  
  
Yuusuke finally caught up with Kuronue and caught his arm, pulling him to a stop. "Come on, Kuronue. I was kidding. Honest!"  
  
Kuronue made a big show of sighing and looking annoyed but really didn't mean it. And he didn't protest at all when Yuusuke pulled him into an apologetic kiss. In fact he melted into it once more. He was perfectly willing to admit Yuusuke's kisses were intoxicating, but he liked to tease Yuusuke and give him a chase. And Yuusuke seemed to enjoy it as well.  
  
Kuronue broke the kiss with a gasp for breath and Yuusuke moved down to kiss at his neck. He moaned softly and pushed Yuusuke back, murmuring something nearly incoherent about kids and others watching, then he grabbed Yuusuke's hand and pulled him toward the wagon.  
  
Door locked and curtains closed, Kuronue soon found himself being laid out against the patch-work blankets, staring up at Yuusuke in the darkness. His nocturnal eyes let him see every delicious curve of the youkai's body as he slid off his clothes. The grin on his face was almost sexy in it's tilt and Kuronue found himself smirking back as he undid the strings that held his pants on. Yuusuke's hand followed the retreating cloth, caressing Kuronue's skin and rising gooseflesh in their wake as both moaned softly.  
  
"You don't come around enough anymore," Yuusuke whispered in a soft voice, his fingers still sliding over Kuronue's skin.  
  
"I'm here with you now," Kuronue moaned, his own fingers tracing the jagged markings on Yuusuke's chest. "I'm here now and I want this." He sat up and licked teasingly along the edge of Yuusuke's ear. "Take me, Yuusuke," he breathed out.  
  
Yuusuke shivered in response and caught Kuronue's lips in a deep kiss, causing him to moan loudly and wrap his arms around Yuusuke's neck. The two pressed their naked bodies together as the kiss deepened and Yuusuke began to use his fingers to tease at Kuronue's wings, making him even more sensitive and receptive.  
  
Kuronue melted into the act, letting his body react on instinct as Yuusuke teased his sensitive spots. The two had shared this many times before and Kuronue always found each more pleasurable then the last. The black haired youkai atop of him was a master of testing spots to find those that were the most sensitive the teasing them to the point that Kuronue quickly lost control of his senses. Caresses, touches, licks and kisses gave rise to moaning and trembling as he gripped Yuusuke close, his body crying out in pleasure.   
  
A finger ventured to slide near Kuronue's entrance, since they'd lost their clothes what seemed to be an eternity ago, and Kuronue whimpered in response. He held onto Yuusuke's shoulder's tightly, his nails nearly drawing blood as Yuusuke slid his finger inside. Passion and sensation flowed through Kuronue's body as he let himself just enjoy each and every feeling.  
  
Soon Yuusuke was inside of him, Kuronue moved into his lap holding onto him and scratching his fingers down Yuusuke's back as the marked youkai teased at his wings. Kuronue's entire body seemed to be on fire and he enjoyed every moment of it. He let Yuusuke hear and feel his enjoyment, spurring him to move faster and deeper as their voices filled the small wagon. Sensation and passion rose higher, sweat covered their skin and each cried out the other's name in hoarse voices as each reached their climax. Yuusuke reached his and collapsed onto his back a moment before Kuronue who followed his lead, landing lightly on top of him still trembling in the aftershock.  
  
Both lay there silently for a long moment, simply catching their breaths, then Yuusuke lifted up his hand and began stroking his fingers through Kuronue's long, thin black hair. Kuronue practically purred in pleasure, melting into his light embrace.  
  
"You know, I've been thinking," Yuusuke spoke just above a whisper, as if any sound louder then that would deafen them.  
  
"Don't hurt yourself," Kuronue chimed in, in his own quiet voice, causing Yuusuke to smile in the darkness.  
  
"I think I want to stick around this time. Maybe start traveling with a wagon instead of alone all the time like I usually do."  
  
Kuronue chuckled softly and lifted his head, meeting Yuusuke's eyes in the darkness. "So the great hunter Yuusuke wants to settle down and go all domestic?"  
  
This time Yuusuke didn't smile. he simply looked back at Kuronue and gave the slightest of nods. "Yes. I'm going to ask Yomi tomorrow for permission."  
  
Kuronue's nocturnal eyes widened at that and he sat up quickly, his hair spilling messily over his body. "What?!"  
  
"I want to join your wagon." For once in his life Yuusuke managed to be completely calm, which only showed Kuronue how serious he was. The nocturnal youkai shook his head.  
  
"You can't."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Kuronue pulled backed from him, suddenly feeling naked, cold and exposed. He moved his wings around himself as a cover, attempting to chase off the sudden chill.  
  
"Why not Kuronue? Tell me you haven't thought about it. How many times have we met up like this and then split off the next morning? I'm not just one of your 'customers' and you know it!"  
  
Kuronue turned his head, not looking at Yuusuke anymore as he pulled one of the blankets closer to himself. he didn't want to say it, he couldn't and he hoped Yuusuke would at least get the hint. Yuusuke apparently did.  
  
"Or am I wrong?" He asked in a soft, almost hurt tone.  
  
Kuronue only managed to nod softly.  
  
Yuusuke's eyes narrowed as he climbed out of the bed and tugged his pants back on. Without saying a word he replaced them and left the wagon shutting the door behind him. Kuronue heard a bag of coins land harshly against the door in a jingling thud, causing him to wince.  
  
He just ignored the money outside and rolled over, curling under the many patchwork blankets, trying to find something that resembled warmth, but there was nothing.  
  
In the end he slipped off to a troubled sleep, shivering and alone. 


	11. Part 11

The moonlight shown over the trees gracing them with a silver glow that brought out the many strange nocturnal Makai plants. It wasn't a full moon, but it was close, only sacrificing a sliver to the shadow's darkness. The nocturnal plants responded by crawling out of their hiding holes and stretching toward the sky with the same eagerness that the daylight plants aimed for the sun. Animals weren't many to be seen, due to the brightness of the moon. Bright enough for the prey to stay hidden and the predators to go hungry.  
  
Soft feet padded on the ground not too far from the trees, walking a deliberately picked path amongst the newly revealed plant life. Skillfully no plant was stepped on, nor disturbed, as the light feet ascended on their destination. Silence filled the night as if the forest itself was holding it's breath in anticipation of the show to come.  
  
Kurama stepped out into the clearing and into the moonlight, feeling it's strange warmth flow over him. For the moment he just closed his eyes and let the change come. It wasn't a change brought on by the moon, but rather because of it. The night was always empty when the moon was this bright, allowing him the privacy to be his true self.  
  
Hair the color of fire grew in length becoming cleaner and more silky in it's texture. He felt it spill across his bare back as his ears became more sensitive, changing position and shape. The night suddenly came alive with sound and his ears twitched as they adjusted to the change. Hair spilled down the back of his legs as well, forming the tail he kept hidden from everyone and completed the transformation.  
  
What stood now in the clearing bore little resemblance to the Kurama most people knew. Instead nearly all of the travelers, and probably most of the Makai, would have recognized him for what he really was, a silver youko.  
  
One of the rarest breeds of creatures in the Makai, silver youkos were prized for their pelts which shined and shone more then any coin that could be fashioned or any other stone that could be unearthed. It was even whispered that far back in the past their silvery hair had been used as a form of currency when the world was young and they didn't know how to fight and hide in more normal looking forms.   
  
Silver youkos were also known as a delicacy to the more cannibalistic varieties of youkai, a true treasure to eat if one could manage to catch them. Both of these factors sadly worked together to nearly make Kurama's kind extinct, leaving himself as the only silver youko he'd ever met in his life aside from his own mother. Not even his father had been like him. Instead it was his father's ability to change shape that he'd inherited which now allowed him to hide his true nature from curious and prying eyes.   
  
Perhaps that's why he'd lived so long.  
  
But now the illusion was gone and Kurama stood out in the moonlight, showing off his true form to those nocturnal plants around him. His ears stood peeked, listening carefully for the sounds of any predators which might try and come after him, meanwhile the rest of his body moved for a completely different reason.   
  
He remembered very little about his true parents. A fleeting image, a few powers of his own, and perhaps their own images hidden in his two forms were his only reminders of them. That and the one trait they'd given him before the night when they were killed, a love of the night and the moon lit in the sky. And now he reveled in that light. Both a danger of being seen and a homage to the parents he never really got to know, the night sent a thrill through his body as he moved in deliberate steps around the clearing. And then, he began to dance.  
  
Feet ceased with their normal steps and they became mere movements, landing in a different direction each time, his body twisting to the rhythm in his mind. He danced to no music, only to the thoughts in his mind, which let go and let his feet and body move as they wished. His eyes closed and his lips parted in a breath of a smile as he moved in the clearing. His body swayed much like the nocturnal plants around him, movements seeming to be created by the soft and cool night breeze or spurned by the glow of the moon.   
  
No step was preconceived, no plan made for the dance. It was pure movement, swirling in light patterns around the small area. Moonlight shone and glinted off the silver hair, reflecting all around him and covering him with an unearthly glow that seemed almost ethereal in it's origin. As he moved the moon seemed to glow brighter overhead, as if it were responding to the private show which no one else saw.  
  
Well, almost no one else.  
  
As Kurama danced, his movements began to slow, the dance coming to a soft pause as his ears twitched. He's noticed the movement beyond him long before he changed his movements to reflect his reaction. Something stood just beyond the trees, watching. Slowly he brought himself to a stop, his eyes opening and focusing on the tree from which the sound originated. Taking a careful step forward he stopped the dance and advanced on the tree. Almost immediately there was the sound of someone crouching with a desire to hide and not be seen.  
  
"You can come out," Kurama spoke softly, the red already melting back into his hair, but only slightly. The small change was brought on more out of instinct for survival then any real desire. No other change happened as he stepped toward the tree and circled around it. To his surprise he found Hiei sitting there with his knees pulled to his chest and avoiding his eyes. The shorter fire demon stood to his feet but didn't meet Kurama's eyes and the youko couldn't help the small smile which crossed his features.  
  
"I'm intruding," Hiei muttered, something clearly meant to resemble a type of apology. He stepped away from Kurama and made to return to the camp, never chancing to meet his eyes.  
  
"No. You aren't. If you were intruding I would have bolted when I first heard you." Hiei stopped walking and Kurama continued to speak in a soft voice. "I'm not used to performing for an audience."  
  
Hiei turned on one foot to face Kurama, this time glancing up to meet his golden eyes with a skeptical look. "You preformed for the group around the fire pit."  
  
Kurama nodded. "But not like this." As if the change weren't clear enough Kurama spread his arms just a bit to denote his now silver covered body. Hiei only nodded his own agreement.  
  
"What are you?" He asked in a softer voice, one that sounded more like a child to Kurama, then his usual bad tempered tone.   
  
"I am a secret," Kurama replied softly, the small smile tugging a bit more at his lips.  
  
Hiei blinked at that and completely met Kurama's eyes, watching him quietly for a moment. Then he gave a very slow nod.  
  
"A secret I will keep," he responded in the same soft tone. "On one condition."  
  
It was Kurama's turn to blink in question. And this time a very small shadow of a smirk crossed Hiei's lips, nearly invisible.   
  
"May I watch you dance again?"  
  
Kurama couldn't keep the full smile from his face as it crossed his lips and spilled into his eyes. Without a word he retreated back into the clearing and Hiei followed him, stopping only to lean against the tree he'd previously thought to hide behind. And there he stood as Kurama slid his eyes closed and melted back into the movements.  
  
There they stayed until the moon dipped below the horizon, neither speaking another word. Kurama simply danced in the moonlight and Hiei merely watched. Each content with just that.  
  
**  
  
Kuronue woke up the next morning as sunlight snuck into the room, crawling over the bed and spreading over the entire room, making sleep nearly impossible. Kuronue groaned and rolled over, pulling the blanket over his head, exposing his feet since the patchwork cloth wasn't quite long enough to cover his entire body, his wings and his feet, so something was left exposed. He lay there for a long moment, slowly starting to drift back off to sleep now that the offending sun was gone, but he was interrupted once again, this time by the sound of a bag of coins begin dropped on the bed next to him. Kuronue blinked and sat up, squinting against the sun as his eyes began to adjust.   
  
He found the wagon looking the same as it did every morning, thanks to the thick curtains which were now drawn back to allow in the offending sun. Kuronue glared and grabbed the curtain tie, letting the sun go covered once more, emitting a small growl at the light. He rubbed his eyes, then glanced down next to him on the bed, finding a small leather pouch of coins sitting next to him.  
  
"You left that outside," Yomi's voice said softly.  
  
Kuronue glanced up at the taller blind youkai and winced, for once very happy that his expressions couldn't be seen, as he remembered the events of the night before with Yuusuke. "It's not mine," he answered in a sleepy voice.  
  
"Yuusuke left it for you last night." Yomi moved around the wagon with familiar movements, long since memorizing the layout of the small compartment. Methodically he began turning the bottles of mead which he was so good in crafting, then he moved to sit down and polish a few bottles which were not filled yet. "He doesn't usually leave in such a huff to drop the coins outside. One wonders what could have caused such a reaction."  
  
Kuronue frowned and sat up, retrieving his pants and pulling them back on, before attempting to attack the tangles in his hair with a brush. "One shouldn't be nosey." He retorted back.  
  
A small smirk crossed Yomi's lips in amusement. "What did you say to him, Kuronue?"  
  
Kuronue sighed, his eyes drifting away from Yomi's calm face to the floor. Yomi couldn't meet his eyes, but he still avoided the youkai's face as if he could. "It wasn't what I said... it was more what he said and my reaction," he admitted softly.  
  
Kuronue listened and heard Yomi place the bottle back in the basket with the others that needed to be polished. Silently the blind youkai made his way to the bed and sat down behind Kuronue. Then, in practiced movements, Yomi took the brush from Kuronue's hand and began carefully pulling it through Kuronue's hair to untangle the knots. The simple movement, unaccompanied by words, calmed Kuronue and soothed his troubled thoughts. When he was younger he'd always loved it when Yomi did this. The simple movements always calmed him and he'd always been amazed at how the blind youkai never failed to rid his long black hair of every tangle, even though he couldn't see them.  
  
"He wanted to travel with us," Kuronue admitted softly, his eyes sliding shut at the treatment.  
  
"And you said no."  
  
Kuronue nodded.   
  
"Why?"  
  
Kuronue emitted a sigh. "Because he can't. It wouldn't work out. I mean, think about it, we have enough people as it is, and then he comes in and we have another mouth to feed here. Not to mention that he won't approve of my work, and I know that will become a problem. We also have Kurama to consider. And it just... it just... wouldn't work."  
  
There was a soft chuckle behind Kuronue from Yomi as he continued to brush. "You are making excuses, little one. Now, why don't you tell me why you really told him no."  
  
Kuronue opened his eyes and glared ahead at the mention of 'little one'. He hated that nick name, and yet Yomi continued to use it whenever he decided it was the right time to give 'parental' advice to Kuronue. Yomi wasn't his parent, and Kuronue hadn't even been a child when they'd met and still Yomi insisted on using the same nickname. So Kuronue responded by not responding, letting Yomi know that he still hated being called 'little one'.  
  
After a few moments of silence, Yomi actually answered his own question. "You told him no, because you are afraid."  
  
"Am not," Kuronue retorted in a childish voice.  
  
"You are afraid of him staying. You offered me only excuses, Kuronue, as to why you told him no. In reality, you are afraid of becoming attached to him, seeing as how your entire life is built around relationships where you are not attached to people. To a point you are not even attached to the people who you travel with in this wagon. The idea of someone becoming attached to you as more then a sibling or a fatherly figure scares you, and you won't let him in."  
  
Kuronue's eyes narrowed at that and he pulled away from Yomi, standing to his feet. He whirled around to face Yomi, glaring more. "You're saying I'm in love with him?!"  
  
Yomi remained seated, still holding the brush in his hands. "I said nothing of the sort. The word simply left your lips first."  
  
Kuronue opened his mouth to shout back, but nothing came out. Instead his glare faded away and his legs wavered. He slid to sit on the small amount of floor space around him, his wings even drooping. "I... don't love him," he said softly.  
  
"There is nothing wrong with love." Yomi answered back in a calm and neutral voice.   
  
"Yes there is! It gets you killed."  
  
Yomi remained silent at that answer, not feeling the need to mention anything else. Instead he stood up and slowly made his way out of the wagon. He stopped at the door as if he were about to say something, but apparently decided against it, for the next moment the door was closed and there was silence in the wagon again. Kuronue simply stayed where he was and leaned back against the wall, hugging his knees.  
  
He wasn't in love with Yuusuke, he couldn't be. He'd promised himself he wouldn't fall in love again.  
  
Kuronue could easily admit that he was attracted to Yuusuke. Who wouldn't be attracted to his thin but muscled and strong body, tattooed with the tribal markings from head to toe. His long black hair that always fell wildly down his back, refusing order and confinement as much as the body and personality it was attached to. Yuusuke never liked to travel with groups, because he always tired of them. But he always came back to Mukuro's camp. He always managed to meet up with Kuronue for their occasional rolls beneath the covers. And he always slept next to Kuronue the night after the act, allowing him to wake up nestled in those strong arms. Yuusuke was the only one he allowed himself to fall asleep next to. But that wasn't love.  
  
It wasn't.  
  
Kuronue blinked, surprised to find his vision blurred. Reaching up to rub his eyes, he found them wet, a few tears slipping down his cheeks, in spite of his own astonishment. He didn't cry. Frowning lightly at himself he quickly wiped away the tears and stood up. Tying off his long hair in a ponytail he opted to add a vest to his outfit, rather then not wearing a shirt. He quickly banished the tears and his own thoughts, not giving them anymore time.  
  
He wasn't in love with Yuusuke.  
  
Besides, no one could really fall in love with a demon who prostituted himself across the Makai to raise money. No one could fall in love with a creature who would stoop so low as that. Yuusuke was just fooling himself, attempting to change his style for something new. Even if he'd allowed Yuusuke to stay it wouldn't have lasted. Of course not.  
  
No one fell in love with a prostitute.  
  
That was the exact reason why Kuronue had taken the job. No one was ever supposed to fall in love with him again.  
  
** 


	12. Part 12

The next morning the camp was full of the sounds of movement. As the groups rose they all began to pack up their belongings and gather up the various objects around their camps. Late in the night, word spread around camp said, Mukuro had received another report of a town torn to pieces with bodies scattered all about. Whoever was attacking the villages now was developing a pattern, showing a line of movement, all of which pointed directly to the camp. This caused only a minor panic, but it was a panic none the less. As a result all wagons were packing up and making plans to move and scatter in all different directions. A couple plans were made to meet up again, just to make sure friends and family weren't caught or killed, but most just packed to leave. Meeting later would be handled later when the rising threat had passed, if it was even a threat at all.  
  
Yomi's wagon followed the same pattern, and Yukina found herself helping them gather up with little of their belongings they'd scattered around. She allowed herself a little time to bid farewell to the others whom she had danced with, when she passed them, but mainly focused on helping. Perhaps, for her, the danger seemed more real. She'd been in one of the towns that had been attacked and she knew what the attackers could do, even if she'd never seen one of them in person. The last thing she wanted was to see the camp of newly made friends ending up the same way. So, as soon as she had helped Yomi and the others clean up their wagon, she also began helping those around them, so that everyone could leave in a timely manner.  
  
Within almost no time everything was packed and Kurama was already helping Kuronue hook up the horse to the wagon ready to set out. Yukina climbed up into the wagon and settled down to sit on the top of it with a couple chests of things, sitting securely with Kuronue driving and leading the horse. Yomi, Kurama and Hiei were all inside for the ride, resting to take turns with Kuronue driving. And they set off.  
  
As the wagon moved through what little was left of the camp, Yukina found herself watching all the others. Almost all of them were finished packing and were moving as well, all seemingly in different directions. A couple looked worried, but most weren't bothered and seemed to treat it as just another move. Perhaps for them it was easier to keep moving. After all, the place that youkai called home was simply contained in their wagons and the company they kept. It was made to be easily packed up and left behind if needed. In a way, it was almost a safer home then a large gated palace. Because if you moved all the time then you took your home with you, and you were accustomed to it changing shape and size, and that made it all the more stronger. Not to mention that no one could take that kind of home away from you.  
  
Least that was the way the young Koorime saw it.  
  
Yukina liked that idea. Smiling softly to herself she resolved to keep her home close to her like that as well. Then no one could ever take her home away again, because it was always with her, inside.  
  
The wagon passed another which was just finishing packing its chests on top and tying them down. The main youkai on the top of the wagon, with jagged tattoos placed all over his body looked up and waved at Kuronue, obviously trying to catch his attention and get them to stop. Yukina turned to tell Kuronue, but gave a small cry of surprise when the wagon jerked forward, and the horse picked up its pace. The youkai noticed and his hand dropped away, then he turned and went back to tying the ropes, pulling them in sharp and jerky movements.  
  
"Kuronue?" Yukina moved toward the front of the wagon.  
  
"Yeah? What's up?" Asked the winged youkai. His eyes were on the road, concentrating on their trail and where ever they were headed.  
  
"That one... with the markings, he wanted to talk to you."  
  
"Well, I didn't want to talk to him."  
  
Kuronue's voice held a sharp edge to it, and yet there seemed to be an undertone of sadness. Yukina could tell, it was the same way her brother talked. She frowned and sat back against one of the chests. She knew better then to push, but at the same time... she couldn't help but wonder what had happened.  
  
"Hey, kid."  
  
Yukina blinked and looked up at him.  
  
"I don't mean to snap at you. It's not anything having to do with you. I'm just a bit touchy on the subject, that's all."  
  
"I won't ask then." Yukina said, giving a small nod. That seemed to be the end of it because she made herself comfortable against the trunks and cases and Kuronue didn't say another word. True to her word Yukina didn't bring it up again and her eyes and mind went to the road ahead of them.  
  
Trees and forest covered each side of the dirt trail which had no plants thanks to thousands of feet packing it down and stopping any life that even considered branching into that area. While only the groups of travelers really had wagons, the roads were still fairly well traveled by feet, paws and claws alike. Wheels were rare but there were enough of the other that it that it didn't really matter.  
  
Trees soon broken out to reveal a clearing, an area where the trees had been cleared away to allow what resembled a small town... or what used to. Kuronue pulled the wagon to a stop just at the forest's edge and stiffened as he looked ahead with Yukina.   
  
The first thing they saw from the distance was the smoke and the second thing they saw were the flames. Smoke made a thick cloud above and around the small town with flames occasionally licking into view, burning brightly. No youkai could be seen through the thick grey and black, and there wasn't anyone outside of the town. Either they'd already fled... or they never had the chance.  
  
Below Kuronue and Yukina the door opened and Kurama stepped out. Tugging the shawl he was wearing close he frowned a bit in worry. "Father said he smelt smoke... I see why."   
  
Kuronue kept his eyes on the town, apparently watching it to make sure nothing came out at them. "It's the only road unless we turn around."  
  
"There might still be someone in there..." Yukina said softly. At her words both of the youkai turned and looked at her in surprise, as if they hadn't realized that.  
  
"Shit." Kuronue tied up the reigns and jumped down out of the wagon. "I'm going to go check it out. Kurama stay-"  
  
"No." The redhead crossed his arms and glared at Kuronue, which one wouldn't think would be very threatening considering he was wearing a skirt. But apparently it was, because Kuronue stopped complaining, instead he threw his hands up in the air and looked up at Yukina.   
  
"Fine. Yukina, you and your brother stay with Yomi. We'll be back. Please don't do anything rash."  
  
Yukina nodded and settled on top of the wagon. "I'll keep watch up here and tell them if I see something. Be careful."  
  
Kuronue looked to Kurama and both nodded, Kurama pulling the shawl a bit closer, then both of them headed for the town.  
  
Closer up, the town wasn't in much better shape then it appeared from the distance. Houses were destroyed from what appeared to be a struggle with no bodies around, but plenty of blood and evidence that the inhabitants of the town didn't win. As they neared the town they found that most of the flames had died out, already having used up their fuel for burning. What was left now was a mix of smoldering ashes and occasionally bits of wood that still had a flame. The place stunk, to the point that Kurama was soon covering his nose, quite happy he'd brought with his shawl. Even Kuronue was wincing at the smell, looking a bit paler then normal.   
  
Had anyone been watching them, they might have found these two the most unlikely to search the ruins. Kurama was wearing a skirt and top combo in a dark green with black lines interwoven into the fabric, the shawl a matching black, making his hair that much more noticeable thanks to its bright red color. Meanwhile Kuronue was wearing his usual tight pants and simple vest that left his chest bare, his wings folded against his back. Neither looked like the type to try and take care of survivors, but then neither really cared. And in the end it didn't matter, because there was no one left to save.  
  
Kurama stepped past Kuronue and ducked down to enter into one of the burnt out husks out a house that were scattered around. Even the movement inside caused the roof to crumble a bit, and rain a handful of ashes on him, but nothing major. Inside there was the same scene they'd seen before. Nothing had been stolen, and anything that was destroyed looked like it had been destroyed in a struggle. The only thing missing from the small town were its inhabitants. Kurama stopped as his eyes settled on what looked like a deliberately lit fire in the fire pit for cooking, which was still burning. Beyond it lay a pile of bones.  
  
"Flesh eaters." He choked out softly.  
  
Behind him Kuronue stepped into the house and frowned at the pile. He stepped over to it and knelt down, looking over one of the bones. After a moment he nodded and tossed it back into the pile. "Looks like they stopped for a snack..." he trailed off and quickly stood up.   
  
"This looks new. Father!" Kurama quickly turned on his heels and bolted out of the house, paying no heed to the fact that he bumped into the wall and the resulting impact caused the place to shake and crumble. Bolting out of the town and back toward the wagon he just couldn't run fast enough. How could they have been so stupid as to leave the others alone?  
  
Two children and a blind old demon? What chance did they have if the culprits were still around?  
  
Kurama just ran as fast as he could, and hoped he was wrong. 


	13. Part 13

Hiei shifted in his seat in the wagon. They'd stopped and Kurama had come running back to the wagon, looking quite panicked and yet relieved to find everyone still there. What happened next was a miss-match of incoherent words on Kurama's part and Kuronue speaking to Yomi in a soft voice. But Hiei caught enough words to piece together his own understanding.  
  
Flesh eaters.  
  
Hiei's hands clenched into fists where he was sitting and he shifted again. He knew his parents had been killed. He knew that his entire home had been slaughtered and burned beyond recognition. But to learn that his parents had been killed and eaten... that made it all the more worse. All he could think about was his parents. He'd been sick at the time, so he didn't remember anything that happened that night, and now he was glad he didn't. The last thing he needed in his mind was the cries of his parents as they were killed by a pack of youkai who had decided to slaughter an entire village for what ultimately amounted to a midnight snack.  
  
Unacceptable.  
  
Unforgivable.  
  
Completely unforgivable.  
  
Hiei glanced over at his sister, finding her watching the other three with confused eyes. She didn't appear to have heard the part about the flesh eaters, which he was quite thankful for. Yukina didn't need to know that part. She didn't need to know the gruesome reality of their parents death, knowing that they were killed was painful enough.   
  
But still, there was one more issue to deal with, and that was the fact that their killers were still roaming the Makai, still killing for their meals. The Makai didn't have many rules that covered all the lands, but flesh eating demons who attacked their own kind were still considered to be the worst of all demons. They were free game to be killed. And Hiei intended to do just that.  
  
He turned his head and moved to the side of the window, pulling back one of the curtains. Leaning closer to the window his eyes crossed over the burnt remains of the village, then to the horizon. It was mere hours before the sun would set, and that's when he decided to do it. When the sunset he would set out.   
  
He would hunt down the flesh eaters.  
  
And he would kill them.  
  
The wagon continued traveling that night, Kuronue leading them on well into the night, concerned more about distancing themselves from the site of the latest attack, rather then sleeping. They made it through well enough, managing to stay on the trail only thanks to his nocturnal eyes. But after a couple hours, even his own abilities faded. In spite of naturally being nocturnal, he did spend most of his time awake during the day, and like it or not, after time, that did start to effect his eyes. So after a few hours travel in the dark Kuronue finally relented and pulled off the side of the road into a clearing that seemed to be well hidden, at least from the main road from the destroyed village.   
  
Stopping the wagon he tied up the horse and quickly went back to the path, doing his best to smooth out their tracks and make them harder to find. Then, allowing himself to stretch out his arms and his wings, he walked back to the wagon and started to make some sort of camp.  
  
Opening the door he found the inhabitants inside mostly already asleep. Kurama was curled up next to Yomi, one arm draped over his adoptive father in an almost protective manor. Kuronue flashed a sad smile upon seeing this and tucked a blanket around them.  
  
He'd seen Kurama's reaction at the camp, and he certainly couldn't blame the youko for how he'd acted. When the only parental figure you had was an older demon who was quite blind, even if he could fight well enough, you did tend to get protective. It wasn't that Yomi was weak, it was simply that Kurama had lost too much family as it was, and he didn't want to lose any more. Kuronue certainly couldn't blame him for that.  
  
The two children were curled up on the other side of the bed section of the wagon. Yukina was snuggled up against her brother, who was laying on his side, looking much like he'd fallen asleep and then she'd curled up beside him. The image was actually quite cute, especially considering that Hiei was one of those demons who would kill someone before he let himself be snuggled with. And it didn't help that with his eyes closed and his hair matted down that he looked like a little pissy cherub who was sneaking a nap while he thought no one was looking.  
  
Kuronue couldn't help the smirk on his face as he wished he had someway to save that image. After all, it wasn't often that one caught a fire demon unawares. In fact, as far as he'd heard, it was nearly impossible.  
  
The winged youkai ducked back out of the wagon and went back to checking the clearing, taking his time to make sure that there were no signs of danger. As he walked he gathered a few sticks, aiming to set them out for firewood in the morning. Finally, after all the double checking he stopped and just paused for a moment. Once he was sure he'd covered everything, he turned back to the wagon...   
  
To find Hiei standing there in the doorway.  
  
"Well, hello sleepy head."  
  
Hiei shot Kuronue a glare in the darkness, his hand unconsciously running through his hair, trying to rid it of the matted look he'd gained from sleeping.   
  
"You can go back to sleep, I just stopped us for the night."  
  
Hiei frowned and stepped down from the wagon, his eyes drifting to the road. "How far away are we?"  
  
"A couple hours, not too far, but as far as I could get us in the darkness. I would have gone farther, but there was too much of a chance of missing the road and breaking a wheel or an axel. And those are a huge pain to fix."  
  
Hiei nodded slowly.  
  
"Something on your mind?"  
  
The fire demon regarded Kuronue for a second, then shook his head.  
  
"Go back and get some sleep. I'm going to gather a little more firewood for the morning and probably stay on look out for a while."  
  
Kuronue watched the young youkai for a long moment, then watched him give a nod and head back into the wagon. Kuronue remained there for a moment, just watching the closed door, not really sure what to do. The whole situation actually struck him as strange. Shouldn't that fire demon be sleeping? And he couldn't quite place his finger on it, but something about their little exchange was just off. He hadn't really seemed that sleep... it had almost seemed acted out. Kuronue scratched the back of his head in thought and finally just shrugged, turning back to get the firewood that he'd said he was going to.  
  
From that day forward Kuronue cursed firewood and hated it. Because it was only after the firewood was collected that he came back to the wagon to find the door open...  
  
And Hiei was gone. 


	14. Part 14

3 Years Later  
  
The trees surrounding him looked so familiar, they hadn't changed. Nothing had changed, really, it all looked completely the same. The tree trunks stood tall, creating a protective fence around the small camp, attempting to shield from the rest of the Makai with their thick branches and numerous leaves. Some vines had even grown from the ground, winding from tree to tree, to interlace them all together. Here and there a few flowers were scattered about, the beautiful kind that could only be seen at night, which now bloomed brilliantly in the moonlight.  
  
It couldn't truly be called night, where they stood now. For in spite of the trees and the thick canopy, what moonlight that broke through lit up the forest floor with its ethereal light, making nothing seem real.  
  
Not even the newly covered patch of dirt, among all the plants and wild life.  
  
Or perhaps that was just his wishful thinking.  
  
Kurama, unlike the forest, had changed. Three years had passed and he'd grown, his youko side asserting itself more. Now he could only suppress it particularly, creating a strange hybrid form. His hair was still red, streaked in strands of silver, with youko ears small enough to be hidden if he so choose, but no longer would they disappear. His tail had grown to match his hair, but it was silver streaked in red, acting as a counter to match his new coloring. His eyes had apparently also changed to a swirled mix of green and gold, much more lively and captivating then before, even if the expression on his face never seemed to match any more.  
  
Oddly enough, for the last three years, and especially the last two, Kurama was finding less and less reason to smile. He didn't even dance that often any more as he'd used to, not able to really find a reason for the smoothness that was required in his steps. Instead the days blended in and out, mostly with him sitting off by himself, remembering the two he'd just recently added to the list of people he'd lost.  
  
"Hey, kid."  
  
Kurama didn't glance up from his resting spot on the large rock, one knee propping his chin up as he hugged it. He'd heard Kuronue approaching, but he wasn't really interested in moving. "Hey."  
  
"You coming back tonight? It's getting pretty late. Yukina was getting worried."  
  
Kurama's eyes moved back over the patch of earth again, which was only recently starting to grow over with plants, then nodded a bit. "Yeah, I guess I should." With those words he finally moved, standing up and stretching a bit. Scratching a bit behind one of his ears he turned toward Kuronue. "I still look as depressed as the grave, don't I?"  
  
Kuronue cracked a small smile. "Not too bad, you're getting better. But I think it would help more if you didn't sit out here all the time. I'm sure Yomi enjoys the company, but you have a life too. He'd understand that. It has been two years."  
  
"Yeah, I know. Maybe it's the fact that he's the only one who has a real grave to go back to, none of the others do. Because lately... I've been thinking about Hiei more."  
  
The winged demon nodded in understanding. "He'll come back. Little kid's too damn pissy to just up and die. The Spirit World would kick him back out for being so annoying."  
  
Kurama actually let out a soft chuckle at that. "You know, I can actually almost believe that."  
  
"Well, you laughed, my job is done. Now come say hello to Mukuro."  
  
"Mukuro is here?" Kurama couldn't help the speed added to his step. The last time he'd seen Mukuro was when the wagons had met up again a little after Yomi's death. Since the destruction of the villages had started by the flesh eaters, they'd met up less and less, more concerned with safety. Meetings now only occurred a couple times a year, and they were always smaller as many felt that a large group only meant making themselves a larger target. After years of being apart, though, people were starting to lose their fear. Even if village still turned up burned with no youkai in sight every now and then.  
  
As sad as it was to admit, the caution and fear caused by the roaming group of flesh eaters was becoming common and almost being taken for granted. It was sad, but there was really nothing they could do about it. The Makai wasn't really a world made for order. And the small groups of travelers who wandered along it's paths and roads certainly weren't equipped enough to start up a youkai hunt for those responsible. Things like this, like it not, had to be taken at their own pace and dealt with in the same way. There simply was no other way to do it.  
  
Kurama picked up his steps a bit and reached the wagon before Kuronue, immediately spotting Mukuro. Smiling bright he jumped forward and hugged the youkai woman on the unscarred side of her body. Mukuro responded with a smile and hugged him back.  
  
"Kuronue didn't tell me you were in the area!"  
  
"I wasn't aware you were either, but I heard there was another wagon not too far from my own, so I came to stop by. It is good to see you again. How are you doing?"  
  
Kurama finally released her from the hug and smiled sincerely, and it was possibly the first time he'd smiled sincerely in a long time. "Pretty good, same as usual."  
  
"Pretty good, my ass. You spend all your time moping." Kuronue said, for which he received a light punch to his shoulder. Playfully he winced, but it was ruined by the smile on his face.  
  
"Kuronue!"  
  
"What? You do! And of course I've noticed you baka. So..." he took Kurama by the shoulders and pushed him toward Mukuro "now she gets to cheer you up."  
  
"Very funny Kuronue," Mukuro commented in a dry voice.  
  
"Hey, I'm serious. I can't do a thing for him and neither can Yukina, so now it's time for the great and mighty Mukuro to take over."   
  
Mukuro sighed and shook her head, almost seeming to give in for a second. But, a moment later, she turned and gave a small whistle. On cue Jin and Touya came out, obviously acting as some sort of bodyguards for her while she was out checking out the rumors about the wagon. Jin flashed a bright smile when he saw Kurama, while Touya's expression remained unchanged.  
  
"Mukuro... wait a second..." Kurama tried to take a step back, eyeing Jin and his cheerful mood warily.  
  
"Jin, Kurama's been depressed lately and needs some cheering up." A smirk grew across her own face. "Be a dear and help him, I have some things to discuss with the little nocturnal entertainer here."  
  
Jin just grinned more and nodded his own agreement, and before Kurama could even attempt to protest again he was being swept away by the happy little redheaded and horned demon, Touya following quietly behind.   
  
Mukuro just turned to Kuronue with a smug expression.  
  
"You know, a comment like that might almost make me believe you're starting to respect me."  
  
"Don't get your hopes up," she responded in good humor. Kuronue just laughed.  
  
Back at Mukuro's tent, Kuronue sat with the scarred woman around a low table. Laid out across the table was a small pile of papers with various markings of villages and scribbled names. Rough colored lines outlaid terrain while black lines seemed to indicate roads that crisscrossed over the entire paper. Kuronue blinked a bit in the light from a hole above in the tent.  
  
"Maps?"  
  
Mukuro nodded.  
  
"But we don't usually keep maps." For as long as Kuronue had been a wanderer he'd never seen a map used by any of the others around him. Part of the life style was the freedom to wander where ever and whenever they chose. Maps were viewed as an unneeded part of life, because they confined things to stationary places, locking them down and trapping them. The whole part of this life style was the freedom to wander and maps went against that freedom, because when you marked a place down you denied it the ability to move or to grow and confined it to the space indicated by a name, line and dot.  
  
"We don't. I do. I started doing this a couple years ago because I thought there might be a use for it in the future. There's something I need you to look at. See these markings?" She moved her hand and indicated a series of red dots that created an uneven circular shape on the map. "These are the villages that were attacked this year."  
  
Kuronue gave a small nod, noticing that the distance between the dots seemed close to the same. But that didn't mean anything, considering how rough these maps looked. He'd seen the ones that one could buy in the markets that claimed to lay out the entire Makai, and those actually had measurements on them. He doubted Mukuro had taken the time to actually use some sort of measuring method, but then again, maybe she had. There really was no way to know how accurate maps were, which was part of the reason he'd never personally used them.  
  
"And these... were the ones attacked last year." Mukuro pulled out another sheet of paper with relatively the same markings. This time the red marks of the villages that were attacked were different, but Kuronue didn't have to look hard to see that they followed the same pattern. Kuronue frowned.  
  
"Feeding circles."  
  
Mukuro nodded.  
  
All animals fed in circles, that was common knowledge. Even those that changed location according to the season always fed in a circular pattern around their 'home'. The smallest bug to the bulkiest youkai followed this pattern and to a point, even the wanders did. Most didn't like to admit it, but nearly every wanderer had a location in the Makai, if not a few, that was important to them that they would always return to every now and then. Kurama had Yomi's grave. Kuronue had his own home... even Yomi had the grave of a previous lover that he liked to circle around and visit every few years, when he'd been alive himself.  
  
Apparently these flesh eaters were no exception.  
  
"They appear to be circulating the same area. I know it's been three years, but I only started keeping track two years ago. And from these markings it would appear that they live in this area." She moved her fingers and indicated the center area of the map.  
  
"You aren't suggesting that we go in there and attack them, are you?"  
  
Mukuro sat back, frowning at the maps as she crossed her arms. "I'm not suggesting anything. I merely set out to try and find out where these attacks were coming from. Beyond that..." She stopped and stood up, pacing a bit. "You and I both know that even if we could meet up with all the other wagons and convince them, chances are we wouldn't be a match for these demons. And there is a small chance we will even be able to gather half a group."  
  
"So we know the source, but not how to fix it." Kuronue's own mouth shifted into a low frown. "Well, it is better to nothing. If we warn people to stay out of this area they'll just move, won't they."  
  
"Any hungry creature would. At this point the only solution seems to be to pass on the information to those who are in the area, and let them decide what to do. Anything beyond that requires much more organization then I think many of us are willing to put up with."  
  
"A rock and a hard place. How encouraging." Kuronue leaned back forward to look over the maps again, pondering exactly what to do with this new information. With Yomi dead, Kuronue had become the so-called leader of their wagon and it was his duty to make decisions on such subjects. But for the life of him he wasn't sure what to do. He decided speaking with both Kurama and Yukina that night would probably be the best choice of action, and let them help decide. Beyond that...  
  
"Mukuro."  
  
Mukuro glanced back over to him, nodding for him to continue.  
  
"Do you happen to have any news on Hiei?"  
  
The change was slight, but even Kuronue knew her well enough to see the small amount of sadness she allowed to appear in her eyes. In three years the news of Hiei's disappearance had been passed to nearly every wagon they ran into. And yet in three years there had been little more then rumors on the young fire demon. After the first year it had dropped to a quiet subject, only mentioned in whispers and usually followed by looks of pity. It didn't bug Kuronue as much, but he knew it hurt Kurama more and more as time passed.  
  
"Even rumors. Anything. I know he'll ask." Kuronue prompted.  
  
"There have been a few, but no more different then those you're used to. A young short fire demon with a white hair, here, there. The only thing that you might be able to follow up on is one bit I heard. There's a demon who goes by the name of Shigure, of questionable nature."  
  
Kuronue frowned deeply, giving Mukuro his full attention. "I've heard of him."  
  
"There is a fairly creditable rumor that he did a transplant for a fire youkai who matches Hiei's description."  
  
Kuronue jumped up in surprise, hitting his leg on the table edge, hard. He muttered a few choice words and rubbed his leg, wincing. Then he looked back at Mukuro. "You're serious?"  
  
Mukuro simply nodded, a serious expression on her face.  
  
"I am not passing that one on to Kurama, there's no way. Do you happen to know what the transplant was for?"  
  
"No. But you and I both know he will do almost anything he can get his hands on."  
  
"That's what I was afraid of. And don't tell me, I already know about his damn success rate." Kuronue sighed and rubbed his bruised leg again.   
  
Shigure was well known for his weird arts of taking one part of a demon and transplanting it with another. His transplants could be for anything, ranging from piercings of any size with bone, metal or wood, to actual grafting on of wings that were supposed to work. Of course, no one really knew about that considering that a large amount of his 'customers' ended up dead within a short amount of time after the process. No one really knew if it was him killing them on purpose or if it was because his process didn't actually work.  
  
Either way it wasn't safe. And if a demon was going to him for a transplant they were either desperate, or crazy. Sadly Kuronue didn't know the short fire demon enough to know if he fit in either of those categories.   
  
Kuronue sighed softly. "I should probably tell Kurama."  
  
"There is something else... for you, not for Kurama."  
  
The winged youkai frowned at Mukuro. "I don't trust that tone. What weren't you going to tell me?"  
  
A small coy smile crossed Mukuro's face. "There's another wagon with us and someone who's been wanting to talk to you-"  
  
"No." Kuronue snapped the word out immediately, turning a full glare on Mukuro. "No. No. No."  
  
"Kuronue, relax. It's been three years, you could at least talk to him."  
  
"No. I have nothing to say to him, nothing he wants to hear. Three years isn't long enough." With those words he turned and opened the curtain-doorway on the tent. Mukuro didn't stand to stop him, which he was glad of, but her words were probably even more effective.  
  
"Three years is a long time. Talk to him. Or one day he's going to corner you and make you answer, which will only cause you to blow up. If you don't like it, talk to him on your own terms. Don't wait for him to find you. You'll regret it."  
  
Kuronue sighed as he stood at the door. "You know, sometimes... I hate you."  
  
Mukuro just chuckled. "Good luck."  
  
"I'm gonna need it." 


	15. Part 15

The other wagon looked pretty much the same as the one Kuronue and the other two girls traveled in. Mukuro wasn't one for fancy decorations or paintings, which often adorned the wagons of various travelers. Rather she lived more with simple designs that worked, rather then flashy ones that kept needing repairs. Still, even with that said, every wagon needed fixing now and then, and apparently the axle on this wagon was loose.  
  
Which would explain why Kuronue found Yuusuke halfway under the wagon, which was propped up by a rock, as he tinkered around with the items underneath. Kuronue noticed him and just stood there, not saying anything or even making a sound. All he did was watch, and wonder why Yuusuke was such a big annoyance in his life.  
  
What had happened? He'd made a promise to never fall in love, not ever again, and yet he found himself eating those words every time he even caught a glimpse of this particular tattooed youkai. He knew, from personal experience, that love could easily kill someone. Hell, he'd had to watch for the last three years as Kurama seemed to slowly crumble away between his memories and his hope for finding the young fire demon who was probably dead, or worse. But even beyond that he knew that love wasn't something that could be trusted.   
  
It wasn't because he slept with Yuusuke. He'd slept with dozens, probably even hundreds of youkai, and that had never made a difference. But Yuusuke… something about him made all of Kuronue's reasons and explainations crumble to dust. And standing there, not even ten feet away from him, Kuronue lost every possible idea of what he was actually going to say.  
  
So much for the 'leave me alone and stop stalking me' approach.  
  
"How long are you going to keep standing there?"  
  
Kuronue blinked at hearing Yuusuke's voice and sighed silently, then frowned at him. "You looked busy."  
  
There was the sound of something being snapped on, then Yuusuke rolled over onto his stomiach and slipped out from under the wagon. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped. He must not have realized that it was Kuronue who was standing there watching him, that much was obvious from the look on his face.  
  
The two of them just stood there for a long moment, neither one wishing to break the silence and bring on what could potentically be one of the most awkward moments in their life. After a long moment, Yuusuke echoed Kuronue's sigh and gave him an almost sheepish look.   
  
"It's been a while."  
  
Kuronue nodded.   
  
Silence reigned longer as the two of them searched for words. Thousands seemed to be popping into Kuronue's head, but it was quite the battle to get those words from his brain to his mouth, and he kept failing. So he just stood there, unsure of what to say or how to say it, just waiting.  
  
"Three years… you could have at least said goodbye that day. I know we fought but… still."  
  
"My answer is still no," Kuronue responded softly. He was doing a pretty good job of not letting his emotions through. He wasn't about to let Yuusuke know how many times he'd wished for his arms around him, especially after Yomi had died.  
  
Yuusuke responded by nodding and leaning back against the wagon. "I figured that out on my own. So what exactly did I say to get alienated so much? Will you at least tell me that? Will you at least tell me what part of your past or thoughts I wasn't supposed to touch? Or was it always just sex to you?"  
  
"It's not that simple-"  
  
"Kuronue, I know what we are. Hell, I know what all the travelers are. If we were simple, we wouldn't be living lives outside of the normal Makai life. You can skip that part of it. So what exactly is it that I hit that I wasn't supposed to?"  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" Kuronue looked away from him, not wanting Yuusuke to see the look in his eyes. He'd come close to telling Yomi once about what had happened, but only Yomi. Because of all people, Yomi couldn't see the sadness in his eyes at that moment. That made it easier to tell. Because when one had sad eyes, the eyes of the person listening usually reflected pity, and Kuronue hated pity.  
  
"If it were obvious I wouldn't be asking." Yuusuke responded in a quieter voice.  
  
Kuronue closed his eyes and didn't look at him, battling himself on the inside. Maybe it was all the time. Maybe it was watching Kurama crumble and die with each passing day. Maybe it was just everything piled in ontop of him, but he couldn't keep it inside anymore, no matter how hard he tried.  
  
"Flesh eaters eventually attack everywhere." He murmured softly.  
  
Behind him Yuusuke stepped forward and touched his shoulder, his hand just resting there silently. It was a gesture meant for comfort, and this time it actually did work.  
  
"But they aren't nearly as bad as those of our kind, who just don't care about anyone or anything. He didn't even care about me. All he cared about was money and power... and we ended up dead."  
  
Yuusuke said nothing to that. But then, what could one say? Speaking of the past was often enough a taboo between travelers, because more often then not, the past held keys to doors that they never wanted to open again, or to weapons that far too many could skillfull weild. With travelers more then anyone, the act of revealing one's past was an act of trust. Such stories, usually held the key to destroying someone, or nearly killing them.  
  
Kuronue had just told his weakness.  
  
"You're afraid I'll hurt you too."  
  
"It's not you, Yuusuke. I don't let anyone that close. Not even Kurama and Yomi." Kuronue turned and his eyes travelled up to Yuusuke. He could count on his hand how many people he'd told and still have fingers to spare. Everyone knew his kind was as rare as the youko, though not nearly as prized, but most didn't know why. Now Yuusuke knew. That implied a small level of trust, but not the kind of trust Kuronue knew he'd been searching for.   
  
Kuronue took a step back, but Yuusuke reacted quickly and caught his hand.   
  
"One request."  
  
He hesitated, but finally the winged youkai nodded.  
  
"One more kiss."  
  
Kurnoue responded by pulling his hand away and stepping back more. "I'm sorry Yuusuke, but there are no one more's. I simply came to say good bye." With that he turned and headed back to the camp, using all his mental strength to keep his head high and step unfaultering.  
  
He would not cry.  
  
He refused to.  
  
And somehow, he managed not to.  
  



End file.
